


Her Battle

by RizaHawkeye



Series: Revised Destiny [1]
Category: Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/F, F/M, Romance, Shoujo-ai, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-17
Updated: 2014-06-17
Packaged: 2018-02-04 08:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 245,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1772458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RizaHawkeye/pseuds/RizaHawkeye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An enemy has emerged and the senshi must battle again, while Rei is forced to deal with feelings long buried.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Only the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Just to state the obvious I definitely don’t own Sailor Moon or any of the characters, but this story plot is mine however :)

~~~~******~~~~  
Chapter 1 – Only the Beginning  
~~~~******~~~~

A certain raven haired girl could be seen silently escaping a modestly large shrine, that she called her home.  She’d taken to going on walks in the dead of the night.  It started out as a means to clear her thoughts, but now it seemed more than anything it had become a habit.  There hadn’t been much activity, of the youma variety for several weeks, and consequently the time she spent with her friends became chat sessions though one of their group still tried give an educational spin to their meetings.  For her part, the raven haired girl would periodically suggest they use their free time as training sessions in order to keep the skills well honed.  Her suggestion was usually turned down, but during their meeting earlier that day…

~~~

“I don’t think that’d be a bad idea.  I’d like to work off some of the rust from not having a real battle in so long.” One of blonde haired girls chimed in.

“Really Minako?” The raven haired girl asked.

She shrugged her shoulders in response, “Sure, why not?”

“Minna?”

“I’m up for it.” Makoto said raising her head from the paper in front of her.

“Great.  Ami?  Usagi?”

“I guess I’m already out-numbered, so there’s no use voting against it.” The blue haired girl said, closing the book her hands.

“Thanks Ami.” Rei said, now turning her attention to the girl just to her left.  “Usagi?...”  She paused and looked at the said girl strangely; she was  _way_ too focused on the textbook in her hands.  She waved her hand between the book and the girl’s gaze, “Hey!  Are you even listening?”

The blonde haired girl’s head shot up and stared at the girl whose hand had just interrupted her reading, “What?  I was reading…I mean…”

Rei tilted her head to the side slightly, “You were what?”

“Studying.” She answered quickly.

“I’m  _sure_  you were studying…” Rei let her voice trail off at the end as she quickly swiped the book she held. 

“Hey!  It was just starting to get good!” Usagi protested, raising a few eyebrows in the group.  Usagi couldn’t seriously be talking about a text book, could she?  The question was answered momentarily as Rei pulled out a manga from where the math book that was opened.

“You said you were studying Usagi.” Ami said, sounding disappointed.

Usagi lowered her head apologetically, “I’m sorry.  I just can’t look at a math book for that long, it gives me a headache.”

“See, Ami this will be the perfect opportunity to pound some better studying habits into Odango.” Rei said mischievously.

“Why are you always so mean to me, Rei?!” Usagi cried out.

~~~

Rei sighed and kicked a small pebble down the sidewalk.  She loved messing with Usagi and despite appearances to those outside their circle of friends; she cared for the blonde deeply.  Their arguments had become a part of their relationship before she even realized it.  They were also something she solely shared with the other girl and consequently she’d continue their little spats.   She remembered at one point one of their friends, she could remember who anymore, had made an off-handed comment that she and Usagi fought like a married couple.  The raven haired girl couldn’t help but laughed darkly at that thought.  It was only a joke, only it wasn’t very funny, at least to Rei.  Such a simple comment brought to the surface feelings she’d rather remained buried within her.

She paused for a moment and kicked the same pebble as hard as she could.  She watched the small rock skip down the concrete until she couldn’t see it any more.  She wanted a release, if that meant she had to kick some youma butt to achieve that, she didn’t have a problem with that, in fact she welcomed it.  She knew she could go all out against a youma and not break any laws.  She hoped beating down a youma would calm her spirit, something she couldn’t say had happened for several weeks.  She almost wished she could chalk her restlessness up to some sinister force, but she could honestly say she didn’t feel the presence of a new enemy; it would be easier to accept than reality.  She knew the reality even if she didn’t want to admit it…her feelings for the Moon Princess had only grown stronger and harder to ignore since Mamoru left.

~~~

Sailor Moon and Mars were paired off, similarly Mercury and Jupiter sparred together, while Venus sat this round out.  The other three girls that could have made their group even, therefore no one would have to sit out, were not present.  They usually only attended senshi meetings, not ‘study sessions’.  Although they, Haruka and Michiru in particular, would have likely come if they were contacted, Setsuna was a little iffy.  Her presence usually coincided with the imminent doom of the planet.

Venus took a healthy drink from the water bottle beside her and observed the girls from her position.  Jupiter wasn’t putting much effort in to her attacks, but Mercury seemed to be trying a little more, but in such a match the blue haired girl was outmatched.  She was best when she could analyze a situation and derive what course of action was required to achieve victory.  She wasn’t a slouch in hand to hand fighting, but she was far from being on the same level as Jupiter.  It was an unfair match-up, but as far as Venus could tell Jupiter was solely trying to improve the other girl, not further herself which was perfectly fine as far she was concerned.  And then there was Mars and Moon…

Moon blinked as a gloved fist stopped just short of her face.  After a moment the hand dropped and it’s owner sighed audibly, “Come on, Usagi…you’re going to have to get better at hand to hand combat.”

“I’m not doing that bad.” She denied and looked over to her fellow blonde.  “Right, Minako?”

The sitting girl looked at Usagi for a little while before responding, “Well…your reaction time is a bit slow.  If Rei were fighting you seriously, she could have seriously hurt you a few times by now.” She said and stood up.  “What if you’re stuck in a situation where you don’t have access to your Kaleidoscope and we’re all cut off from you for some reason?  You’d need to rely on your own skills to protect yourself.” Venus said as she walked over to Mars and Moon.  “You’ve definitely improved since I first met you, but you still have room for improvement.  All of us should continue to improve ourselves.  There’s no telling what dangers may lay ahead for us, we need to be prepared.”  She put her hand of Moon’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. 

“See, I told you so.” Mars said with her hand on her hip.

“Venus said I’m improving!”

“And she also said you need to improve even more.” Mars countered.

Venus smiled at her two friends for a moment before focusing on the darker haired of the two.  “Come at me as you did Sailor Moon.” She directed.  Mars nodded her head and did as she was instructed.

Venus spun on her back foot and avoided the punch.  She quickly followed up with an attempted chop to the back of Mars’ neck, but she was blocked by the raven haired girl’s free arm.  “Nice.” Venus whispered to Mars.  The blonde senshi looked over to Moon, “Even when you attack you have to be ready to defend at a moments notice if your opponent counters your attack.”  Both girls separated and the senshi of love took a step back, “Now I want you to do the same thing I just did, Usagi”

The same scene was repeated as before and all seemed to be going well.  Moon avoided the punch, but before any congratulations could be thrown her way it happened.  The Moon Princess lost her balance before she could further follow Venus’ example and fell to the ground, landing on her rear.

Mars stood over the pouting girl, trying to suppress her laughter, but the sight of was almost too much.  Finally taking pity on the girl, “Jeez, Usagi you’re such a klutz.” Mars remarked and offered her hand.

~~~

‘I have no intention of ever allowing Usagi to be in such a pinch.’ She told herself.  Realistically though she realized it was impossible to expect that she would always be at her side every time any danger threatened the girl, so she knew Usagi’s current shortcomings in physical combat needed to be addressed.   She also knew that despite her convictions, they always seemed to be encountering stronger and stronger enemies and that meant if she wished to have any hope of protecting her Princess she needed to get stronger.  Even though it was nearly a month since the Nehellenia was sealed away, she still remembered the fight with her and how ridiculously powerless she was before her and she didn’t want to ever feel like that again. 

Rei paused and looked around for a moment, she was already a couple miles away from her and had yet to encounter anything.  ‘Maybe I should just head back…’ She thought and turned around, but didn’t take another step.  At the edge of her hearing she heard something that sounded like screaming.  When she heard it again she was positive it was screaming.  Without a second thought, she ran in the direction the sound was coming from.  It wasn’t necessarily a youma, but from the sound of the screaming, someone was definitely in trouble and while helping girls from would be attackers in the dead of night wasn’t in her job description as Sailor Mars, she couldn’t just ignore it either, she wasn’t heartless.

She reached a corner and stopped, finally being able to make out the words being spoken.  She listened carefully and tried to determine if she needed to transform.

“Stop!  What are you?!”

“You look tasty human…”

“Someone help me!”

That was more than enough of an answer for her as she pulled out her henshin stick…

“Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!”

Mars jumped around the corner and quickly accessed the situation; the youma didn’t appear to have harmed the girl, outside of scaring her.  “Hey youma!  Why don’t you play with me instead?!”  She watched the creature change his attention to her before saying…

“I was wondering when you’d show, senshi.  I thought I’d have to have fun with that human there. ”

She frowned at the way the creature addressed her, but she could question him on that after she did something.   The senshi of fire looked at the woman on the ground, “Now would be a good time for you to get out of here.”  She watched the shocked woman scramble to her feet and run off as fast as her feet would take her.  Again she could bring her attention to the youma, “What the hell are you?  Something left behind by the Dead Moon?”

“I don’t know any Dead Moon.” He replied.

The senshi of flames gauged what he just said and as far as she could tell, he was telling the truth.  “So what are you?”

“There’s no need to for me to answer that because you be dead in a few minutes anyway.”

Mars smiled at the cockiness the creature displayed, “Big words, you better hope you can back them up.”

“Oh…I can…” He said and charged forward.

She raised her hands and blocked the punch he threw, but she could tell immediately something was off.  Even though she stopped his attack, she could feel herself being pushed back.  “Crap” Mars stated as she was just knocked backwards by the deceptively strong youma.  ‘Maybe it would have been a good idea to call the other senshi to help.’ She thought.  Simply looking at the youma, he didn’t appear to be much of a threat, but he seemed to be stronger than she anticipated.

“You can’t defeat me by yourself!” declared the yellow almost child sized youma.

“Again you shoot your mouth off.” Mars said and stood up, dusting herself off in the process.  “I’m more than enough to handle you!” she said and created a circle of fire in front her chest.

“Burning Mandala!” 

The circle before her quickly became several rings that bolted straight at the youma.  He quickly dodged left and right and finally jumped high into the air to avoid the last ring of fire.  The youma smiled triumphantly, having thwarted her attack with relative ease.  His smile was wiped off his face when he saw a leg heading straight for his head; the roundhouse kick collided with him as soon as he landed on the ground.  The force of the kick sent the youma flying, right into a near by light post.

“Not so cocky laying there on the ground are you?” Mars mocked.  Her statement was quickly answered by a feral cry from the youma as he stood up.  She was a little unnerved by the creature’s cry and took a step back, instinctively.  Before she make another move the youma was upon her, he seemed to be moving far quicker than before.  She was caught by a quick punch to her stomach that knocked the wind out of her and causing her to hunch over.  Before she had a chance to recover, the punch was followed up by a hard elbow to the back of her neck that propelled her to the ground.  As soon as Mars hit the ground, the youma relentlessly kicked in her side until a sickening cracking sound could be heard on the fifth kick, which let Mars know she got some broken ribs from that blow.  The assault stopped for briefly and allowed Mars to get up into an almost sitting position.

The youma then leaned down to Mars’ ear and spoke, “If you are this easy; I can’t wait to meet friends, senshi of fire.”  The youma then swiftly kicked Mars on the side of her head sending her hard into the concrete.  The collision into the rough surface formed a gash on that side of her head, just above her temple.

The youma began taking a few steps away from the downed senshi only to have gloved hand grab onto his leg.  “You  _will_  not harm any of my friends as long as there is strength in my body!”

“Oh, good I’m glad that you still have some fight left in you, I thought it was over already.” The youma replied.

“Don’t take me lightly!  I’m not done with you yet!” Mars yelled as she got back to her feet, spitting blood on the ground along the way.  Once in a standing position again, she wiped the side of her mouth with her hand to clean away any remaining blood.  Quickly Mars reentered her fighting stance. 

“I didn’t realize you were so eager to die!” the youma exclaimed.

He began charging Sailor Mars as he finished the last word of his comment, but this time she knew of his speed and would not be surprised.  As he approached her, she charged up an attack that she knew would not fail her and that even with this youma speed he won’t be able to avoid at such close range.  A part of her mind said, ‘don’t do it you’ll be caught in the blast too’, but she ignored it and instead focus on the thought, ‘if this will keep this monster away from my friends, especially a certain odango atama princess then it would be worth any harm that may come to herself in the process.’ 

Once the youma was mere feet away she drew her hands back mentally forming a bow and arrow of fire and called out, “Mars flame sniper!”  The youma’s eyes widened with shock and then became small slits full of anger once it realized there was no avoiding this attack.

The youma fruitlessly rose its’ hands to try and block it, but there was no way of blocking this flaming arrow it had too much power behind it.  The arrow pierced its chest slowly and when the head of the arrow was fully inside of the monster it exploded in huge flash of fire that blew the youma apart in a mess of black blood and youma parts.  The force of the blast affected Mars as well, even though she protected her face with her arms, it didn’t do much for the rest of herself as she was sent through the wall of a near by building and her arms pretty badly burnt to protect her face from the blast. 

‘Well, on the plus side at least I’m still alive’ Mars thought, ‘but I think I’ve felt better.’ Mars continued her thoughts.  At that time she undid her transformation and returned to her normal self, Hino Rei.  “Ugh…” Rei groaned loudly when she tried to get up, only to clutch her side and grimace in pain and it was then that she remembered it was very likely that she had some broken ribs. 

‘I guess I could try to contact someone, but its 2:30 in the morning, would anyone be awake to answer me?  I have to try though, I don’t think I would get far in my condition  _without_  any help.’ she thought.  Before she even had the opportunity to do anything, she was brought out of her thoughts when she heard two people talking to each other outside the building she was in.  She struggled and bit down on her lower lip so she wouldn’t be able to even whimper in pain incase they were youma that were out there talking, she in no condition for another fight right now. 

When she was satisfied with her new hiding place where she would be able to look outside, but whoever was out there would not be able to see her.  She decided to listen and take a look at who would be at the scene of where she had just battle a youma this early in the morning, people didn’t usually go out so early unless they were out to cause trouble.  So Rei turned and looked outside only to be taken aback by what she saw.  And it was then that she realized this battle was only the beginning.             

End Ch. 1

~~~~******~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has been up on fanfiction dot net for a few years now, but I thought it would be good to have it posted up here too.


	2. Early Wake Up Call

Chapter 2 – Early Wake Up Call

* * *

"The impetuous fool! I told him not to take on a senshi alone!" Angrily spat the horned youma.

'He almost looked like a bull on its hind legs.' thought Rei as she looked over the new youma. From the sound of things, these two new ones knew the one she'd just defeated. She watched cautiously as the two inspected the area just in front of her. The more composed one knelt over where the youma had stood when he died, he felt like he was stronger among the both of them. He stood up and looked over to the other youma, which also happened to be in the same line of sight as Rei. She quickly ducked behind the broken wall for cover and hoped she remained unnoticed.

"Calm down, Saburo we will find the senshi who did this and make sure she pays for his death. There are more pressing matters we must to attend to. We were only to find out Goro's fate and we know that now." Stated the youma, who at first glance appeared to be human except for his scaly green skin and snake-like eyes.

Rei unconsciously held her breath while the youma spoke, her instincts told her to not allow  _that_  youma to find her. She was almost positive that he'd caught a glimpse of her, but he made no indication of it though it could be that his threats were not meant for the other, but for her to hear.

"Of course you are right as always, Ichiro. It is just frustrating to come all the way out here and go back just to report that one of our bothers is dead because of a senshi that we know can't be far away! She couldn't have fought him and walked away uninjured." Saburo replied slightly calmer than before.

"But you know the punishment for disobeying a direct order. Let us return for now, the senshis' days are numbered anyway." Ichiro said in a frighteningly calm tone. A few seconds later, each youma opened an invisible door and disappeared.

Rei couldn't help but be a little shocked, she thought the youma she just killed was just some stray youma that the senshi routinely battled, but it appear that there was a new enemy that was surfacing. Now she  **had**  to get in touch with the other senshi, so she pulled her communicator out hoping someone would answer her call. "Attention any who is awake and is able to answer me. I need a little help by that warehouse that's under construction near Juuban Central Park, I can't move too well on my own here and it looks like we've got a new enemy on our hands." Rei said and lowered her arm to the ground. 'I wonder if anyone even heard me…' She thought to herself, but it didn't take very long to receive an answer because after probably less than minute later, she got a response.

"Rei-chan I got your message and I'll be there as soon as I can." Usagi said before she faded from the screen.

'Figures she would be the first to answer my call for help' Rei thought.

Just as soon as she thought that, another of her friends popped on the screen, "Rei I'll be right there with my medical kit, ok."

'Ami…always the doctor' Rei thought, but even if she didn't want to she had to admit to herself that she could use a little medical attention. Even though she healed much faster because of her senshi powers, a little medical attention wouldn't hurt especially for her ribs that were likely broken or at the very least fractured. Rei leaned back against the wall for support and pulled herself to her feet. Slowly she began to make her way outside the building so friends would have an easier time of finding her. When she reached a well lit spot against the wall she slid down into a sitting position once more and against the wall for support. She took a few shallow breaths, it hurt too much to do any more. Her gaze traveled upward to the stars in the night sky where she stared at their brilliance, while she waited for her friends arrival.

* * *

Usagi ran to the area she thought Rei was talking about, 'I wonder how bad she is to be calling on us to help her.' She thought to herself, though she silently hoped for the best. 'Rei didn't usually ask for help even when there were times that she could have used it.' With that thought in mind she couldn't hold back the worry that her friend was hurt and she pick up her pace. Usagi was far from a slow runner, it something she'd 'trained' on in her near daily sprints to school, yet she didn't feel as though she was gaining much ground. The longer it took her to reach her destination; her worry only grew as her mind started coming up with one horrible scenario after another about Rei's current situation. She felt like hitting herself to bring herself back to reality, 'She's fine, I just saw her, she's not seriously hurt or anything…' she thought trying to convince herself.

Flashback

Their daily senshi meeting at Rei's house had just ended and everyone was beginning to leave, when Rei came up to Usagi and said, "Hey Usa, can I have a word with you since we are alone now?"

The blonde paused for a second, as if thinking it over, before she put her school bag back down. "Sure Rei-chan, what is it?" Usagi responded sitting on Rei's futon.

The miko observed the other girl's behavior, she didn't show any indication that she knew what she was going to ask. It was a question she felt she had to ask even though to the best of her knowledge, no one else had. Taking a deep breath she looked straight at her Princess and asked, "I was just wondering….where Mamoru has been recently, I haven't seen him in a while."

Usagi's eyes widened at the query, 'I don't think she was expecting that question' Rei thought. The shock soon left Usagi's face, replacing it was a look of sadness. As soon as she saw the change Rei was immediately sorry that she'd asked that question. The dark haired girl never wanted to see her sad, but her curiosity had just gotten the better of her. "I'm sorry Usa," Rei said making her way towards her futon before sitting down next to Usagi and putting her arm around the distressed girl, "I didn't want to upset you, just forget about it. You don't have to answer my stupid question 'damn I'm so stupid', please don't be upset I'm so…"

Before Rei could finish Usagi shook her head slowly, prompting her stop. After a couple moments of silence, Usagi look up to Rei and said quietly, "I'm not surprised you would be the first to ask me." Not giving Rei a chance to respond she quickly continued, "Two weeks ago Mamoru and I were supposed to go to dinner together and when he was a half hour late I went to his place, because I thought something may have happened, but when I got there Mamoru had just finished packing his things…"

Flashback ~ two weeks ago~

"What's going on Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked uneasily.

The dark haired man kept his back to her as he addressed her question, "I'm on my way to America." He said quietly. The blonde teen was too shocked to say anything; she simply stared at her boyfriend's back. "I got a job offer. I couldn't pass it up." He said and once more became silent. After hearing nothing in response he said, "I was going to tell you tonight, but got caught up here."

"You…what?"

Mamoru finally turned around hearing the poorly formed question, "I know it's sudden, but I have to leave tomorrow. You don't have to worry about seeing me off or anything."

"W-What? I-I don't understand,"

She stared at the dark haired man as he sighed, "I'm going to America and I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be gone for either. I am sorry to spring this on you so suddenly but I didn't have a lot of notice myself."

Usagi could only stare at her boyfriend in shock; she still couldn't understand what was going on. She was just blindsided by Mamoru's news and didn't know how to react. She wanted to deny what he was saying again, but his actions said otherwise and that just left her affixed where she stood.

End Flashback

Rei stared at the other girl in disbelief, 'How could  _he_  just leave her like that…how could  _anyone_  willingly leave her?' Rei screamed in her head.

"After that, he … he…told me he…he…didn't hold…me…to our…our engagement anymore." At this time Usagi broke down in Rei's arms and as Rei tried to comfort her distraught princess.

She was barely able to contain her anger, but she would for her princess. Once Usagi's sobs slowed Rei put her hand under Usagi's chin and raised her head so their eyes met, she wiped away the tears that were still slowly coming from her eyes; and spoke to her not feeling any of the anger that see felt just a short time ago. The only thing she felt and showed right now was all the love that she has felt for the girl in her arms, "Usagi, there is something that you can always count on. I will  **never**  leave you,  _ever_." With that Rei leaned close Usagi, wanting so much to kiss those beautiful lips of hers, but Rei wouldn't allow herself to take advantage of Usagi in her current state, so instead tilted her head upwards and kissed her on her forehead instead.

End Flashback

~~

Unconsciously Usagi brought her hand up to touch the spot on her forehead that Rei had kissed and smiled, 'Of course Rei was going to be alright, she told me herself that she would never leave me' she thought. Just then, she saw Ami coming from across the street. "Ami-chan!" Usagi called and waved her arm to get the girl's attention.

Ami turned to see Usagi running up to her, "Oh, hi Usagi-chan. I guess we're the only ones to get Rei's message, I haven't seen anyone else."

"Yeah, usually I would be asleep, but I was having trouble falling asleep for some reason tonight." Usagi responded. Both girls continued to run, when Usagi noticed her friend was carrying something, "What that?" she asked motioning in the direction of the object the blue haired girl held.

"It's a first-aid kit; I brought this just to be on the safe side." Ami said, holding up the metal box.

"Good thinking, Ami." Usagi said and quietly added, "I just hope we won't need it."

"I hope so too, but we won't know until we get there. Let's hurry though; we don't want to keep Rei waiting." Ami said and started to speed up her pace a bit in the direction she knew the building would be, followed closely behind by Usagi.

"Yeah, you're right. Rei will get mad if we keep her waiting much longer. Besides, I want to make sure she's alright." Usagi said and quickened her pace somewhat, but still remained somewhat behind Ami. She trusted her intelligent friend to know where she was going, at least better than she did.

"This looks like the place." Ami commented as they arrived at the spot Rei said she was. They couldn't help but notice the damage done to the area that was a battlefield just a short time ago. The two began making their way through the debris to get it the building. That was when they spotted a raven haired girl slouched against the base of the building.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi yelled before sprinting toward her friend.

Rei looked up in the two girl's direction and smiled slightly, "Bout time someone got here!"

End Ch.2

~~~~******~~~~


	3. The Recovery

Chapter 3 – The Recovery

* * *

"Rei-chan!" Usagi yelled before sprinting toward her friend.

Rei looked up in the two girl's direction and smiled slightly, "Bout time someone got here!" Her lips curled into a larger grin and she started to chuckle, when she stopped abruptly and grimaced. The simple act of laughter caused her to feel a sharp pain in her left side just below her breast. Her two friends quickened their pace at seeing the pained look on her face.

Usagi reached the girl just before Ami and knelt beside her quickly, "What's wrong Rei?" She asked her voice full of concern.

Before answering Rei slowed her breathing, to where it was more comfortable, "It's nothing really; I just think I might have broken a rib or two."

The blonde haired girl gasped at the dismissive way the other girl described her condition, "A couple broken ribs isn't  _nothing_ , right Ami?"

"She's right Rei. You can't simply brush off something that a couple broken ribs, even if you are a Sailor Senshi. Besides, if that is really the case, there isn't anything I can do here; we'll need to get yourself checked out at a hospital." The blue haired girl agreed with Usagi.

"See, even Ami says so."

"Alright. Alright. Stop it with the double team." She sighed before continuing, "I had hoped you'd be able to patch me up, but I guess that was a little foolish."

Ami dropped to one knee in front of Rei and looked her over, "At least all your other wounds seem minor. Of course, I can't see if those ribs did any damage internally. Luckily, I have this…" She said and summoned her mini supercomputer.

While Ami typed away on her device, Usagi kept her focus on her best friend. "So, what happened here?"

Rei turn to the blonde, "Well, I couldn't sleep so I went out for a walk. After I was a little ways from the shrine, I heard someone screaming and went to check it out. When I got there, a youma was trying to assault some girl and I intervened. I defeated the youma, but what concerned me the most was what happened after the fight."

"What happened afterwards?" Ami asked though she continued to stare at her mini computer.

"Two other youma showed up and they seemed to know the one I just defeated. The one called the youma I defeated their brother. The most concerning thing though was that they were aware of us, yet the youma I fought with told me flat out they were not related to the Dead Moon. They didn't seem to be affiliated with any of our other previous enemies, but they were taking orders from someone, they said as much." When she was done explaining she noticed Ami no longer had her computer anymore, "So, what's the verdict doc?"

"Well you were right, you have some broken ribs, three to be exact, but they didn't cause any internal damage thankfully. We should still get you to a hospital as soon as possible though, because even though they haven't caused any damage, that doesn't mean that they won't if you continue without proper medical attention." Ami said and moved next Rei. "Put your arm around my shoulder." The dark haired did as directed. "Usagi, do the same thing on her other side." The blonde nodded and knelt down on Rei's other side. After a couple seconds Rei put her arm around Usagi's shoulders as she had done with Ami. "Usagi, put your arm around Rei's waist…"

Rei blush slightly, "Is this really necessary?"

"We can't have you try to get up on your own and end up hurting yourself further." Ami explained. "Now Usagi put your arm around her waist and we'll lift her up on the count of three, okay?" She did as she was told and nodded. "Okay. One…Two…Three."

Rei gasped out in pain at being forced into a standing position once again. They simply stood there for a few seconds to allow the injured girl to calm herself before walking anywhere.

"Are you alright Rei?" Usagi asked as she tilted her head to look at the other girl's face.

"All things considered, I could be worse." She replied and gave the blonde a sight smile. She however declined to mention it was her closeness that did wonders for deadening her pain.

"Are you ready to walk Rei?" Ami asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied and slowly the three girls began walking. It was a long and slow process, but luckily for them the hospital they were headed for wasn't too far away. For the most part their journey was a quiet one as the girls thought about what had happened and what was likely to happen.

"So, we have a new enemy. I had hoped things would stay peaceful a little while longer." Ami said, not to anyone in particular.

"Mmm." Usagi agreed quietly. "I hoped we didn't have to fight anymore."

"The problem is the youma don't care about our feelings and no matter how much we don't want this to be happening, it still is." Rei said

All three went quiet for a while until Ami spoke up again just as they reached the hospital, "Well there will be plenty of time to talk about this new threat, right now you need to be looked at Rei."

* * *

…A couple hours later…

"Thank you, Mizuno-San for all you have done for me." Rei says bowing her head respectfully.

"You're welcome, Rei-san. I just wish all of you…" motioning to Ami and Usagi as well as Rei, "…would not make it such a habit of coming to see me as often as you seem to."

"We'll do our best, mother." Ami said trying to ease her mother's worries.

"I just worry about all of you, but I'll trust all of you to stay safe. Oh and Ami, I won't be home until later this afternoon, we've been short all morning" Ami's mother said.

"I understand mom, I'll see you after school then. Sayonara." Ami said before heading out with her friends.

* * *

"I'm sorry guys, but I really need to get home now and get ready for school. Will you two be ok without me?" Ami asked.

"We'll be fine Ami-chan. I'll walk Rei home before heading home to get ready for school myself." Usagi responded.

"Make sure to tell the other senshi about the meeting after school at the shrine, you'll probably see the others before me." Rei called to Ami.

"No problem." Ami called back.

Once Ami was far enough away Rei said, "You don't have to walk me home ya know. I'm much better now, odango atama."

"I know. I just want to." Usagi answered.

"Whatever" Rei said softly turning her head away from Usagi to hide a small smile that escaped her lips 'Maybe she cares more about me than she lets me know.' Mentally hitting herself, 'Of course she cares a lot about me I'm one of her senshi besides she cares for everyone and everything unconditionally. Then  **why**  do I still have to want more?' Mentally scalding herself again, 'this was something I seem to be doing a lot recently, she thought before being interrupted by Usagi.

"You know you shouldn't be so stubborn about asking for help. You could have been hurt worse than you were this morning." Usagi said getting Rei's attention.

"Bumps and bruises are to be expected in what we do, Usagi. I didn't think there was any reason to wake anyone up, to face one youma that I was able take care of by myself." Rei said explaining her actions.

"But you  _did_  have to call for help in the end! It worries me that you have been trying to fight alone, when you don't have to. Everyone would be willing to help if you would just ask!" Usagi said now starting to cry.

"Usa, listen me for a second. If I had sensed how powerful the aura of that youma was at the beginning I would have called for help, but it didn't reveal most of its power till the end of the fight, and by that time if I were to have call anyone it would have been too late anyway. And if it wasn't for my ribs being injured during the fight I could have gotten away from there all by myself. Besides, I'm perfectly fine aside from being a little sore and that will be gone by tomorrow anyway. Okay. You understand what I am telling you right, Usa?" Rei calmly said in order to soothe the other girl.

Usagi responded by shaking her head a little because she only slightly agreed with Rei and said, "I just want you to be more careful, I don't want to lose you."

"Usa, I'm never going to leave you, I already told you that, but I will try to be a little more careful for you, alright."

"Oh thank you Rei-chan." Usagi said jumping onto Rei and giving her bear hug. Despite how much she loved being in Usagi's arms her ribs were a little sorer than she let Usagi know and despite her best efforts she let a small frown come across her features and even though she tried not to let Usagi see it, she still noticed. "What…? You're still in pain! Aren't you?"

"Maybe a little, but they only hurts if you try to crush them again, Odango atama!" The miko said hoping to start one their "fights" that she secretly liked so much.

"Oh Rei, why are you so mean to me!" Usagi yelled.

"Come on Usagi, you better get home and get ready for school so you're not late. I think I can make it the rest of the way home by myself, alright." Rei said.

The raven haired girl really did want the other girl to stay, but she knew she would have to get ready for school as well and school was approaching faster than she would have liked. "All right Rei-chan. I'll see you at the meeting later today, okay." Usagi said. Even though she was still a little upset with Rei for not calling for help, but that didn't matter much because she was happier that Rei was going to be alright.

"Yeah, see you then, Odango atama, and don't be  _late_!" Rei called to her princess.

'I wonder why it doesn't make me mad anymore when Rei calls me "Odango atama", like Mamoru did, but maybe I've just gotten used to it.' Usagi thought with a shrug of her shoulders, before running in the direction of her house.

* * *

After school…

"It's good everyone could make it, because this is important." Rei said beginning the meeting.

"Does this have something to do with the youma you fought with early today, Rei?" Minako inquired.

Rei nodded her head, "Yes. Recently all the youma we have been battling have just been stray youma who always seem to wander into our world, but they have been no threat because they weren't unified, that was until earlier today." Rei paused for a second before continuing. "The youma I engaged this morning was different. It appeared to be just like any other stray youma, but it concealed its real power until I was almost ready to kill it. Then it unleashed very powerful and evil aura and I was caught off guard, but I was still able to kill it." Again Rei paused for a second, but this time to see her companion's expressions and then she continued. "But that's not all. Soon after I killed the youma two strange figures showed up at scene and they were not human. They talked to each for a little while and disclosed that the youma that I had just slain was some kind of general of their group. They didn't really do much other than yell about their comrade being dead and say they were going to kill all the senshi though. After they finished talking they disappeared through some portal, because apparently they were only to find out the condition of their comrade and return to where they came from, but I got the impression they won't be gone for long."

"Have you done a fire reading on this yet Rei?" Makoto asked.

"No, I haven't, but I was planning on doing one tonight." Rei answered.

"Luna and Artemis, could you do any reading of the area to see if there is an increased evil presence anywhere?" Minako ordered.

"Right" Luna and Artemis responded in unison before heading out of the Shrine.

"Michiru and I will go and search the area of the battle to see if there's any trace of the enemy remaining or any other clues that can help." Haruka stated

"I think some of us should scout the town incase the enemy should make a return tonight." Ami stated logically. "I'll go scout with you Ami" Makoto stated followed by Minako saying, "I'll come too, we're stronger in numbers right?" Ami nodded at that.

"I will go to the gates of time to investigate the time stream." Setsuna calmly stated before disappearing.

"Hey! What about me! What do I get to do?" Usagi complained feeling a bit left out with everyone else already deciding what they were doing. "Well I don't think it would be a good idea for any of us to be alone, so I think it would be good if you stayed here with Rei during her fire reading, if that's ok with you, Rei." Minako addressed Usagi's concerns. "It's fine as long as she doesn't bother me during the reading." Rei responded, ignoring Usagi's pouting about her comments.

"Alright, we all know what we're doing?" Everyone nodded expect Usagi who was still pouting, "Right, then lets get going." Minako proclaimed.

End Ch.3

* * *


	4. Battle in the Park

Chapter 4 – Battle in the Park

* * *

"Quit pouting over there Odango atama! I need to concentrate to read the fire." Rei said in mildly irritated tone. The miko had told her before they went inside that she could come into the sacred room when she was reading the fire only if she remained quite and did not move much, but Usagi had forgotten that when she came in there tonight. As soon as she remembered, Usagi quickly stopped her pouting to give Rei an opportunity to clear her mind and focus on what she needed to do.

Before Usagi knew it her friend was chanting something, but she couldn't make out what was being said. What ever it was though, the fire seemed to understand and the once low flames shot up kissing the ceiling. Rei was transfixed on the flames and soon images started entering her mind. The images were blurry at first, but they got clearer as Rei focused more. The blurry images turned into flashes of a battle soon to be, there was a large youma attacking the senshi and senshi seemed to losing this fight. Attack after attack had little or no affect on the monster and then the three senshi battling it fell and with that the vision was gone. When the vision faded Rei slumped forward onto the ground trying to catch her breath. When Usagi saw the other girl fall forward she ran over to her.

"What's wrong Rei? What did you see?" Usagi asked with concern while still trying not to sound scared.

"We have….to go find….them!" Rei got out.

"Find who?"

"Ami, Makoto, and Minako. They're in trouble!" Rei said as she got up.

* * *

"So, Ami what part of the city do you think we should patrol first." Makoto inquired.

"Normally I would say that we spilt up and each of us take different parts of the city to cover more ground, but I think it would be a good idea for us to stay together and investigate the north because Haruka and Michiru are already to the south." Ami said.

"That seems fine to me." Minako agreed.

So with that the three girls began their patrol. It all began quite uneventful, there was no sign of any youma or any evil presence for that matter, but they remained on their guard. It all appeared to be waste of time until Minako heard something at the edge of her hearing.

"Did you guys hear that?" Minako asked her companions.

"Hear what?" Makoto asked.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The three turn to the direction of the scream, realizing it is time to fight. "I guess it's time to get to work." Makoto says turning to her friends and they nod in response.

"Mercury crystal power, make up!"

"Jupiter crystal power, make up!"

"Venus crystal power, make up!"

"Hey youma, leave that woman alone and fight someone who can defend themselves!" Sailor Venus yelled to the youma. The youma then dropped the woman and turned to his new targets.

"You….fight….me?" the youma croaked out.

"No, we're going to kill you!" Sailor Jupiter responded. Then she ran at the youma and threw her fist at the side of the youma's head. When it connected the beast took a step back from the force of it, but he seemed generally unfazed by blow. So Jupiter tried to follow up with a punch to its stomach, but the youma caught her hand and tossed her across the ground back to where friends stood.

"Damn you!" Jupiter cursed. And she stood back up to charge the youma again, but Mercury grabbed her arm to stop her.

"What?" Jupiter asked Mercury.

"We need to attack this youma differently. Look at it." Mercury told Jupiter. Jupiter looked at the youma again and saw that its body was surrounded by a thicker skin than was normal even for a youma, it made it almost like its body was encased in full body armor.

"Sorry, I guess I just jumped into the fight without thinking." Jupiter said realizing her mistake.

"At least the youma didn't hurt you." Mercury said as she put her hand on Jupiter's shoulder.

"Mercury, could you analyze the youma for any weakness while Jupiter and I distract it?" Venus called to Mercury.

"Sure, I'm on it. Be careful not to get to close to it, its strength is obviously close combat!" Sailor Mercury said and pressed her earring causing her goggles cover her eyes. Afterwards, she took out her mini super computer.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Sailor Venus shouted and held the youma in place for Jupiter.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" As soon as she uttered the phrase hundreds of razor sharp leaves shot at the restrained youma, slicing through him. Instead of crying out in pain though, the youma just laughed.

"HA HA HA. You can't hurt me!"

"What the hell?" Jupiter said shocked that her attack did nothing at all.

The youma began to flex the muscles in his arms and then raised them, braking Venus' attack as well. "My turn…." He spat and then showed speed that seemed impossible for a creature of his size to have and ran to Sailor Venus. He grabbed her tightly by her right shoulder and punched her hard in the stomach with his free hand. Venus slumped over slightly and coughed roughly and spit out some blood onto the ground. Before she had a chance to recover he gripped harder onto her shoulder and flung her over his shoulder, sending her head first into a tree.

Seeing this Jupiter charged the youma in a fit of rage. When she was close enough to the youma she jumped into the air to deliver another of her attacks. "Sparkling wide pressure!" Jupiter flung the attack straight at the youma's head catching him off guard and snapping his back his head, any other youma would have been dead, but the attack only seemed to piss the youma off.

The youma regained its balance and turned to Jupiter a spat out some green liquid towards the spot she had just landed. "MOVE!" Mercury yelled to Jupiter and she dodged to the right just before the green stuff could hit her. "That liquid is a powerful acid. It will burn threw anything it touches!" Mercury explained.

" _Great_ " Jupiter said sarcastically.

"Mercury, Jupiter!" Sailor Moon called running up to them with Sailor Mars right beside her.

"Where's Venus?" Mars asked as she looked around and didn't see her friend.

"She's over there." Jupiter answered motioning toward the unconscious warrior.

"I don't think we can get to her until we deal with the youma. I don't think she's seriously hurt at least. I wouldn't be surprise if she had a concussion from the impact with that tree though." Mercury added.

"So how do we kill it then?" Mars questioned.

"As best as I can tell, attacks to its body have no affect and he will spit a powerful acid if you are out of its reach. But there is one point we could take advantage of. Before he spits we need to hit him with an attack in his mouth; which, based on my analysis of him, seems to be his weakest point." Mercury explained.

"Alright, so all we need to do is get him to open his mouth then, right?" Mars asked.

"Yes, but it can be dangerous. If your timing is off you won't be able to avoid his acid." Mercury responded.

"Ok, then I'll need someone to get him to prepare that attack and before he can fire it, I'll hit him with my "Flame Sniper" attack." Mars said.

"I can do that." Jupiter offered.

"And I'll back her up." Mercury added.

Mars looked over to her right at Sailor Moon, "Can you go to Venus and check on her when we confront the youma?"

"I can help fight too." Moon said.

"I know, but someone needs to check on Minako to be sure she's alright. If we get overwhelmed you'll be our backup, ok?" Sailor Mars said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sailor Moon stated somewhat somberly, but also realizing Rei was right, someone really did need to see how Minako was doing.

"You ready to fight yet!" called out the annoyed youma.

"Oh yeah! Let's start round two!" Jupiter shouted back and with that three senshi surrounded the youma. "Supreme Thunder!" Lighting showered down upon the youma leaving it little room for it to move.

"I thought I told you already, you can't hurt me!" shouted the youma as he began walking towards Jupiter, breaking her attack in the process.

"Not so fast. She's not your only opponent here! Fire Soul!" Mars called. A fire ball formed at the tips of her two pointer fingers and she sent it flying into the youma's back causing a circular burn mark on him and making him to stumble forward a little. Once the youma regained his balance he turned his head to Mars and gave her a cold angry stare. Now he started to head towards Mars.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury called forth her attack and shot it at the youma. The attack collided with its legs, freezing them were it stood.

"So, it's going to be three on one now." the youma sneered as he smashed his hands down on to the ice that encased his legs shattering it. "I thought you would have realized by now your efforts are futile!"

* * *

As Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury ran toward the youma, Sailor Moon ran over to where Venus was lying on the ground. "Minako!" yelled Sailor Moon as she reached her, but Venus still didn't move. "Minako! Minako are you alright!" Moon said as she grabbed Venus' arm and turned her on to her back. "Minako come on, wake up." Sailor Moon as she shook her slightly.

Finally Venus began to stir, "Agh…" she said grabbing her head. "Where am I? What the heck is going on?" Venus asked looking up at Sailor Moon.

"Well, were in Rikugien and before you got thrown into a tree and were knocked out you were fighting a youma. Rei, Makoto, and Ami are still fighting it actually." Moon explained to her as she looked back to where her other friends were currently fighting. "You stay here while I go help them out, okay?"

"I don't think that will be a problem." Venus responded as she made an attempt to get up, but lay back down when she when she felt dizzy and a little nauseous. Sailor Moon gave her a small smile before running off to join the others, who were still fighting.

* * *

"Aren't you going to try any thing different." the youma complained. He follows up his remark by slamming his fists into the ground sending a shockwave that throws the senshi off balance. While the senshi are trying to get their footing again the youma runs to near-by tree and up roots it. With the tree in hand he begins swinging it as if it were a baseball bat. He hits Jupiter first, sending her flying it to the air and through a park bench about 20 meters from where she stood previously. The youma then swings his 'bat' towards the next closest person him, Sailor Mercury. Mercury having seen what he just did to Jupiter knew he was planning to do the same thing to her, so she jumped as high into the air as she so the tree would miss her and it did. However once she landed the youma was already taking his second swing at her and this time she didn't have the time to avoid it. She was hit straight on by the tree and was sent in the same direction Jupiter was laying. Mercury landed hard onto the ground, ripping up patches of grass as she skidded to a stop.

The youma began eyeing his next target now, but unlike Mercury and Jupiter she had a better shot at defending herself because the small quake the youma created had finally ended. "You are the only one here to have caused me pain and for that you will die first!" the youma roared to Mars.

"There's a lot more where that came from!" Mars said with a smirk on her face, "And don't think you're going to get away with hurting my friends like you have!" she continued, but with a more serious look than before. The youma began bring the tree back to swing it at Mars now when there was something yelled in the distance.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Sailor Moon yelled her attack as she threw her tiara at the youma. The golden object flew straight at the youma, he made an attempt to dodge it, but it caught him in the arm and cut a long, deep gash running from its shoulder to its wrist causing him to drop the tree and scream in agony. "For love and justice, I'm the pretty soldier Sailor Moon. In place of the moon, I'll punish you!" Sailor Moon said as she caught her tiara and placed it back on her head.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH, YOU'RE GONNA PAY!" the youma shouted and began opening its mouth getting ready to spit something at Sailor Moon.

Mars' eyes widened as it looked as though he was going to spit that acid Mercury had mentioned at her. She quickly decided to take action, charging the youma. She crashed into the large creature shoulder first and slammed the youma to the ground. Mars heard a popping sound as she collided with him, but that didn't matter to her right now; all she was thinking about was changing the direction that acid was going land so that it was far away from Usagi and thankfully she succeeded. The acid hit a tree to the left of Usagi, burning through the trunk with in seconds, sending the tree to the ground.

Mars got up quickly and stood over the youma pointing her hand only centimeters away from the youma's face preparing her attack one-handed. "Even if you are to kill me it matters not, I am one of many and they will be coming for you too.  _They_  will kill everyone on this poor excuse of a planet." the youma said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Mars.

"You'll see." said the youma not giving anymore information and when he looked at Mars he seemed to enjoy the frustrated look on Mars face because he started laughing.

"Fine! Mars Flame Sniper!" Mars yelled putting the heel of her left shoe into his head and firing her fire arrow into his open laughing mouth, killing him rather quickly.

"You ok?" Sailor Mars asked turning around to face Sailor Moon.

"Yeah, what was that youm…." Sailor Moon stopped in the middle of what she was saying when she saw Mars' right arm hanging lifelessly on her side, "What's wrong with your arm Rei?" Moon questioned.

"It's nothing. I think it's just dislocated, I'll be fine. How is Minako?" Mars said changing the subject. "She's alright, but probably has a concussion. What about Ami and Makoto?" Sailor Moon replied.

"I haven't gotten a chance to go check on them yet. Come on let's go do that now." Mars said motioning for Sailor Moon to follow her with her good arm. Moon merely nodded in response and began following Mars.

As Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars reached their friends, they saw Jupiter helping Mercury to her feet. "Hey, how are you two doing?" Mars called over to her friends trying to quickly inspect her friends' condition for herself.

"Not bad, all things considered. I saw you two took care of the youma." Jupiter answered Mars. Neither Jupiter nor Mercury seem to hurt to bad, they had a lot of minor cut and it looked like they would be bruised and sore for a little bit though.

"Yeah, he wasn't really as tough as he thought he was." Mars said and afterward heard sirens in the distance.

"It might be a good idea us to undo our transformations and get out of here, but we need to get Minako first." Sailor Moon said what was on everyone's mind. "I'm thinking you're right about Minako having a concussion Ami."

"Hey, about time you girls came back, I thought you had forgotten about me." Minako said, apparently feeling at least a little better since the last time Usagi had seen her, she was even sitting up a little against the broken tree trunk.

"Come on Minako you need to undo your transformation so we can get out of here, the police are coming." Usagi said offering her a hand.

"Alright, but does anyone have an aspirin the size of truck, my head is killing me!" Minako complained rubbing the side of her head. Her friends only laughed at her antics while helping her to her feet and proceeded to leave the park.

End Ch. 4

* * *


	5. Interlude – Conflicting Emotions

Chapter 5 – Interlude – Conflicting Emotions

* * *

"Damn it…" Rei cursed as she shifted on her futon. 'I can't find a comfortable position with this damn shoulder.' she thought. Her shoulder was sorer than she had expected, 'it didn't hurt as much when it was dislocated' Rei thought as she recalled forcing the bone back into place.

* * *

Flashback to an hour or so ago…

"What hell are you going do Rei!" Makoto called to Rei who was standing next to tree.

"What does it look like I'm going do?" Rei called back.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you were trying to force your arm back into its socket." Makoto replied.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm not going to go to the hospital again, especially for something as minor as a dislocated shoulder." Rei said.

"You could hurt yourself more if you try to do that!" Usagi yelled to Rei.

"Calm down Odango, I know what I'm doing." Rei said turning to Usagi.

"Do you?" Makoto questioned as handed Minako, whom she and Usagi were supporting, off to Ami and walk over to Rei.

"Yes, I do" Rei calmly said looking Makoto in her eyes.

As Makoto stared Rei in her eyes, she knew that there would be no stopping her from doing this. "Alright, but I'm going to help you, so you don't hurt yourself more." Makoto said ending their stare off. Makoto then reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen and handed it Rei. "Put that in your mouth. I wouldn't want you to bite your tongue; if you did who would make the cocky remarks to the youma." Rei was about to respond with one of those "cocky remarks", but Makoto stuck the pen in her mouth. "Seriously though Rei, this  _will_  hurt. Are you ready?" Makoto asked and Rei responded with an affirmation shake of her head. Makoto griped Rei's arm firmly then and spoke again, "Ok, 1…2…3!" On three Makoto pulled Rei's arm sharply to her left. Rei closed her eyes tightly and clenched down on to the pen in her mouth when she felt the sudden pain in her arm.

The three other inners watch on and grimaced in pain for Rei because it was obviously very painful. Makoto kept pulling until she heard a popping noise and once she heard that she gently lowered Rei's arm back down to her side. Rei was glad she had that pen in her mouth because she probably would have bitten her tongue and screamed in agony at the pain. She had to admit that it was more painful than she had expected.

Rei bent down as if she was going to sick from the pain. "You ok?" Makoto asked leaning over to look at Rei's face.

"Peachy" Rei sarcastically responded.

"You still got a sense of humor at least. Don't want to say I told you so, but I told you it was going to hurt." Makoto said putting her hand on Rei's good shoulder.

"I think it's really about time we all got home." Ami said loud enough for Rei and Makoto hear from where they were standing.

"Yeah, I really need to lie down." Minako added. Rei and Makoto walked over to join the other three. Usagi looked at Rei like she wanted to say something, but turned her head away when Rei turned to look at her. 'She looks so cute when I catch her off guard' Rei thought as she looked forward again.

End Flashback

* * *

'I don't think I'll be able to sleep well…if at all tonight' Rei thought as she sat up and looked out her window. "The moon is so beautiful tonight" Rei commented to her empty room. Looking up at the pearl in the night-sky always made her think of the moon princess. Rei couldn't understand how she could feel so happy and sad at the same time. She loved Usagi more than simple words could express, but she knew fate would never let her be with Usagi the way dearly wished for. No matter the troubles or problems that Usagi and Mamoru may go through, destiny dictates that they will rule over Crystal Tokyo in the future and Chibi-Usa will be born from that union. 'Who am I to question this?' Rei asked herself.

Rei sat there silently for a while longer just looking out at the stars and letting a myriad of thoughts flood into her mind, trying to come up with an answer that would satisfy her, but was left with only one answer. Love….an emotion that she never really felt until she met Usagi. For her entire life, Rei had never really had any friends. Not that she was unpopular at school or anything far from it in fact, but her life at the Hikawa Jinja made it difficult for her to ever have any of her fellow classmates over. She was still happy overall, but deep down she knew that something was missing in her life, like she wasn't complete. Then the day came when a junior high school girl named Tsukino Usagi came into her life. Everything seemed to fall into place for Rei shortly after that, she became Sailor Mars a fighter of love and justice and defender of Sailor Moon, and she even gained true friends, her fellow senshi members.

Rei always took opportunities to make fun of Usagi or to get her angry, originally she reasoned with herself that it was to make Usagi stronger and it was true to an extent, but later at the D-point when she gave her life so that Sailor Moon, or rather Usagi, could live she realized there was more to it than that. Rei also realized she did it to hide her true feelings for the princess, if everyone thought she hated her they would never think her felt exactly the opposite at least she thought so. It was apparent to all the senshi from the way Rei fought to the way she acted when Usagi really needed her that she really did care for Usagi deeply.

'I wish this could be easier' Rei thought. "Why did I have to fall for her of all people?" Rei quietly asked herself, but just soon as those words left her lips she shook her head at her own stupid question, 'It's not like I chose to love her; hell I fought it for a long time until I just couldn't any more and now I  **must**  be strong enough to not hurt Usagi with my feelings. I  **must**  be content to love her from afar because if she's happy then that will be enough for me.' Rei told herself, "I  **have**  to stay strong for her." Rei said aloud. Slowly she reached up and touched her cheek and felt wetness there for the first time in a while, 'when did I start crying?' she thought.

End Ch. 5

* * *


	6. A Day of Rest with an Ominous Prediction

Chapter 6 – A Day of Rest with an Ominous Prediction

"Rei, time to get up! You don't want to be late for school, do you?" Rei's grandfather called to her.

"I'm already awake grandpa!" Rei responded as she left her room. She hadn't slept more than two hours through the night, but that was not from a lack of trying. She'd already been dressed and ready for school for an hour, it was a harder task to get dressed then she thought it would be since her right arm was more a less useless right now; she couldn't even raise it above her head. After she finished getting dressed she decided to wait in her room for her grandfather to call for her because even though she usually got up early, walking around the shrine at four in the morning would be a little out of the ordinary.

"Breakfast is ready if you're hungry." Grandpa Hino said and smiled at Rei, but his smile disappeared when he saw that Rei still looked tired. "Are you ok Rei, you don't look like you slept well last night."

"I'm ok; I just couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep well last night." Rei answered as sincerely as she could without tell grandfather about why she couldn't sleep well. Her answer seemed to be enough for him though.

"That's too bad Rei. Here, take some miso soup, I'm sure you'll feel better if you eat something." Grandpa Hino offered.

"Arigatou gozaimasu" Rei said when she accepted the bowl. Rei finished her breakfast, washed her dishes, and was preparing her to leave when her grandfather, who was still eating his breakfast, called to her. "Oh Rei, don't over work yourself today you're obviously tired. Don't forget you're only human."

"I won't Grandpa, don't worry. Sayonara!" She called as she left the shrine. Rei began making her way down the stairs of the shrine sensed someone running after her, so she stopped. Yuuichirou came running down the stairs to catch up with Rei. When she stopped suddenly he tried to stop as well, but instead he lost his footing and began to fall. As he started to fall he reached out to grab onto something and ended up grabbing Rei's arm, unluckily for her it was the same one she injured last night. Out of self preservation he pulled on the limb so he didn't fall face first into the concrete. Rei bit down on her lip at the sudden pain that ran up her arm, "Damn it Yuuichirou! What in the hell are you doing!" Rei yelled as she pulled her arm away from him and held it to her side.

"I'm sorry Rei, did I hurt you?" Yuuichirou asked looking at how the raven haired girl was holding her arm. 

Rei looked at him a little confused and then realized how she was her holding her arm, "I'm fine, I just don't need someone trying to pull my arm out of its socket."

"Gomen nasai." Yuuichirou said bowing his head to avoid the angry miko's gaze.

"Look, I really have to go to school now and you should get back to work too, alright?" Rei said hoping that would end this conversion.

"You're right. I'll see you after school then." Yuuichirou said as he finally looked back up at Rei. Rei merely nodded her head in response and walked down the rest of the stairs that lead away from the Shrine.

'I really wish I didn't have to go to school today, I'm so tired.' Rei thought as she ideally walked down the street leading to T*A Private Girls' School. 'Maybe I could catch up on the sleep I missed last night.' Rei wondered, 'With a senshi meeting tonight, I won't be able to rest when I get home. I hope the youma take a night off today.' That was Rei's final thought before she entered her school. I need to go.

"I'm home Grandpa!" Rei called as she entered the Shrine and headed to her room to drop off her bag and pick up a change of clothes. "Grandpa, I'm going to take a bath, but I'm expecting my friends to come over. So if they come by while I'm in here just tell them to wait in my room."

"Sure." Grandpa Hino replied.

Rei went into her private bathroom and locked the door. Rei began to run the water and once it was the right temperature she turned the water higher and added in soap, once the water was at the level she turned off the water. Next, Rei took off her top carefully so she wouldn't disturb her shoulder or her ribs or even her tender arms that were burnt from a couple nights ago. Though her shoulder hurt more than her ribs they were still quite sore, two nights in row of tough fighting took a toll. Rei then removed her socks and skirt; afterward she paused in front of her standing mirror and inspected her injuries. All her minor cuts were already healed, but she still had three rather large burses on her torso where her ribs were broken, she also silently thanked you ever designed her uniform to have long sleeves because it covered up her burnt skin that was slowly healing, and oddly enough the only thing that made her shoulder injury noticeable was that it was slightly swollen. 'I should take in the bath before it gets cold' she thought. Rei removed the last articles of clothing, her bra and underwear, and got into the tub.

As Rei slid into the water she ignored the dull pain of her burnt arms as they came in contact with the warm water, it was more comfortable after a few minutes anyway. 'This feels so good; it's nice to relax if even only for a little while.' Being in the water like this was good for her sore body, plus she liked to think here, other than being with the sacred fire this was one of her favorite places to think. 'Maybe I can relax here because I can't be disturbed.'

**KNOCK ** KNOCK**

'So much for that thought.' "Yes!" Rei called out not trying to hide her anger.

"Umm…Rei most of your friends are already here, Grandpa told me to tell you." Yuuichirou said weakly on the other side of the door, he must have noticed Rei mood by the tone of her voice.

"Alright, could you tell them I'll be right there?" Rei said more calmly.

"Sure" Yuuichirou replied and he went off to tell Rei's friends just that.

Rei got out of the bath and grabbed a towel to dry herself. 'Just when I had gotten comfortable too…' Rei thought as she removed the plug in the tub to drain the water. 'Hopefully someone will have some new information to contribute; this new enemy is really becoming a handful and without better information on them dealing with them it will be difficult.' Rei continued thinking as she put on her clothes. 'The only way to know is to find out what everyone has to say.' Finishing putting on her skirt she headed to her room.

Rei entered her room to find everyone there except for two of her friends. "Hey guys, where are Usagi and Setsuna? Aren't they coming?" Rei asked after she closed her door.

"I'm not sure about Setsuna, but Usagi should be along soon, it was her turn to clean the classroom and she told us to go on ahead of her." Makoto answered part of Rei's question.

"I see, but what about Setsuna then?" Rei asked.

"We really don't know. Neither Ruka nor I have seen her since our last meeting. I can only assume that she is still trying to gather any information she can." Michiru responded.

"Should we start the meeting or wait for Usagi?" Rei asked.

"We should wait, she can't take much longer." Minako said and everyone shook their heads in agreement.

"Alright, we wait then." Rei said as she sat down on her futon next to Minako, since everyone had already taken their usual spots; Ami sat next to Makoto on the ground directly across from Rei's futon, Haruka and Michiru stood to the left of them, Luna and Artemis sat in to middle.

'I wonder if they decided to start without me, I'm sure everyone is there already.' Usagi thought as she reached the steps that lead up to Hikawa Jinja. Not to waste anymore time Usagi hurriedly started her ascent, but slowed down when she spotted someone sweeping the steps. "Hey Yuuichirou, how are you doing?" Usagi cheerfully asked.

"Oh, hi Usagi. I'm fine." Yuuichirou responded as he looked up from the ground he was sweeping, but with much less enthusiasm than Usagi.

"What's wrong? You don't sound like you're fine." Usagi asked with concern.

"It's nothing, really. Rei is just more grouchy than usual. I think something maybe bothering her, but I know she would never tell me about it." Yuuichirou said to Usagi.

"I'll talk to her and maybe I can find out what's wrong." Usagi remarked.

"You will?" Yuuichirou asked as his eyes shined with unshed tears.

A cute smile spread across Usagi's face as nodded, "Yeah. I should get going though, so Rei won't be mad at me for being late." Usagi answered and giggled a little at the end of her statement.

"Ok." Yuuichirou responded and wiped his eyes as Usagi went inside.

"So Rei, how's your shoulder feeling?" Makoto asked.

"It's been better, but it's tolerable." Rei answered.

"What about you, Minako? Are you doing ok?" Ami questioned.

"If you're comparing now to last night, I'm feeling marvelous. Though I do still have a small headache, I think it's going away because it's gotten better as the day's gone on." Minako replied.

"It's normal to still have a headache for a day or two afterwards, but if it continues let me know, ok?" Ami said.

"Will do, doc." Minako answered.

Haruka leaned against wall listening to the conversations and stared at the ground shaking her head. Haruka's movement caught Rei's attention, "Is something bothering you, Haruka?" Rei asked.

Everyone turned their attention to Haruka for her answer. "Of course something's bothering me! I thought we had discussed last night that if we ran into trouble we would call for assistance. Am I wrong?" Haruka paused to look at her fellow sailor senshi and was met with silence so she continued, "I'll take that as a no. So why didn't anyone give out a distress signal!"

Suddenly the door slid open, but everyone's attention stayed on Haruka, until the newcomer spook, "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." Usagi said cheerfully, however once she looked around the room and saw all the serious faces her mood changed, "What's wrong?"

"I just asked what happened last night and why no one called for help." Haruka replied.

"I'll explain to you what occurred last night, Haruka." Ami answered. Ami went on to explain the events of the previous night in detail for Haruka.

"Alright, but that doesn't explain why none of you called for help." Haruka said after she listened to what had occurred the previous night.

"I'll answer that." Makoto replied. "I can't speak for everyone else, but I thought it would be better to try defeat the youma and call only if we need back-up, but when we got into trouble Rei and Usagi showed up. Looking back now, it would have smarter to call for help before we engaged the enemy; however it was attacking someone so we needed to act. Honestly though, it would have been difficult for you two to have arrived in time, since you were across town."

Haruka expression turned to one of shock. She opened her mouth to make a comment about her driving ability, but decided it would be better to end this little argument rather than continue it. "Now that that's been settled, let's move on to something more vital. Did you two find anything of significance at the warehouse where Rei fought the first youma?" Luna questioned Haruka and Michiru.

"No, the stupid police ruined the scene, they left us with nothing." Haruka grumbled frustration evident in her voice. Michiru put her hand over Haruka's, offering her confront. Everyone in the room seemed disappointed by the lack of information they had to work with; the only thing that they had was what the youma had told Rei, which was not much.

"Luna, did Artemis and you discover anything in your research?" Ami asked hoping for a better answer than Haruka's.

"No, with as little as we have to go on we couldn't tell if this enemy is the reemergence of an enemy from the Silver Millennium or if it's an entirely new threat." Luna responded solemnly.

"What about Setsuna, hasn't she returned yet?" Usagi asked.

"No, she has been gone since our last meeting. Michiru told us that before you came, Usagi." Minako said.

"She had to have found something if she's been gone for this long, right?" Usagi said hopefully.

"I sure hope so. It'll be easier to deal with them if we had a better understand about what we're up against here. These youma are stronger than the ones we have fought with in the past, plus they seem to want nothing more than to destroy things and kill people." Rei added.

It was quiet for a few minutes after Rei's statement, all of them were thinking about the situation they were currently in. "Is there anything that anyone would like to add?" Luna said signifying that meeting was about to conclude. After waiting to see if anyone was going to speak up she spook again, "Alright I guess that concludes this meeting."

Everyone got up and began moving toward the exit when Haruka, who was in front, stopped abruptly and turned around. "Shouldn't we be patrolling tonight? I mean there have been incidents the last two nights in a row." Haruka inquired.

"That's true, however other than you and Michiru we aren't in much of a condition to be patrolling tonight. As much as I would like to stop any enemy activity that may occur tonight, I realize that if I were to go out I would be less than helpful and the same can be said for others here." Minako said

Haruka mulled over what Minako said before speaking, "I understand. Michiru and I shall patrol alone then."

"Don't be so quick to want to fight! It's dangerous to do this without proper back-up, what will happen to you two if you get into trouble?" Rei said as she stood up and walked over the Haruka.

"I know what you're saying Rei, but Michiru and I are going to do this, we've gotten out of sticky situations before." Haruka countered.

"It's not about whether the two of you can handle yourselves, I know you can. It's just…something doesn't feel right about it, you can't do this without back-up." Rei said.

"I'll be their back-up. I wasn't really injured in last night's battle." Usagi interjected.

"No." Rei said resolutely.

"And why not?" Usagi asked as she turned to look Rei in her eyes.

"Because…Because… 'I wouldn't be there to protect you'. There wouldn't be anyone there to protect and back you up." Rei said.

The rest of the senshi remained quiet during the conversation, until Ami decided to speak up. "Come on, arguing about this will get us nowhere. Haruka and Michiru are doing what they feel is best and they are smart enough to get out of any bad situations, we need to trust their judgment."

"Ami is right. We know how to handle most any situation." Michiru said.

"We have been around longer than all of you and we know how to handle ourselves, we don't need a babysitter watching over us. Besides, it's not like fight alone is foreign to us, we did it for a long time before we met all of you." Haruka said her voice full of confidence.

"I know, but you two haven't fought this new enemy yet. No matter how much experience you have you can't do this by yourselves." Rei pleaded.

"I know you are looking out for us, but we know what we're doing and I'm sorry Rei, but you can't stop us, you don't have any authority to." Michiru said.

"But…." Rei tried to continue her point, but was cut off by Haruka, "You can't change our minds. I think we can handle one patrol mission by ourselves."

"Fine, but promise me you'll know limits out there and not be too stubborn to escape if the situation gets out of hand." Rei finally relented.

"Me…stubborn?" Haruka questioned cockily. Haruka and Michiru then turned to walk out the door, but as they reached it Usagi said, "Be careful."

Haruka turned back around and said while she smiled, "Sure, bunny." With that the pair left the shrine.

Everyone sat down again after Haruka and Michiru left. "I really should be leaving now too. My mom actually isn't working the nightshift tonight." Ami said a short time after Haruka and Michiru left.

"I'll walk you home then." Makoto said and got up. She then walked over to Ami and took her hand and pulled her up gracefully. Ami turned her head slightly to hide the redness that she could feel on her face, "Arigato." Ami said quietly as she looked down.

Realizing that she was still holding Makoto's hand Ami let go to bring herself back to reality Makoto's face turned from one of happiness to one of confusion. 'I hope she's not upset I held her hand for that long, I don't want her to know.' Ami thought, 'I need to stop doing this.'

"So ah, what about you two?" Ami asked Usagi and Minako, hoping not to prolong that awkward moment with Makoto any longer.

"I need to talk to Rei for a few minutes, go on ahead." Usagi answered.

"Alright, let's go." Makoto said in a more subdued voice than before. Both Makoto and Ami started toward the door, but Ami stopped when she realized Minako hadn't begun to leave yet. Instead she stood looking between Rei and Usagi with an odd expression on her face.

"You coming, Minako?" Ami asked snapping Minako out of her thoughts.

"Oh, right." Minako said as picked up Luna and Artemis and headed for the door, but she spared one more glance at Rei and Usagi before sliding shut the door though. The cats gave Minako a strange look as did Ami and Makoto. Ami decided to ask the question everyone was thinking, "What was that about, Minako?"

"Oh, well…it's just that I felt something there." Minako replied.

"Felt something?" Makoto questioned further.

Minako shook her head at the continued question and answered, "No, no don't worry about it. It's probably just my imagination 'I hope'. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure."

Everyone continued giving Minako a weird look, but decided to let it be. "If you say so…" Makoto said as all of them began leaving the Hikawa Jinja.

Once alone Rei turned toward her futon and sat at the head of it with her legs crossed and her back up against the wall, so she was comfortable, and motioned for Usagi to sit at the foot of it and she did. When they were both sitting comfortably Rei began, "So Usagi, what did you need to talk to me about without the others?" Rei asked.

"First, I wanted to thank you for what you did last night. I know you charged into the youma to prevent that stuff from hitting me. I didn't thank you then so I am now." Usagi said.

"You don't need thank me, I'll never let you be hurt." Rei responded.

"Yes I do. Everyone puts their lives on the line for me all the time; you've hurt yourself to protect me. What kind of person….w-would I be….if I didn't thank you." Usagi said as voice started creaking because she was beginning to cry.

"Usagi…." Rei began, but was cut off. "No! Let me finish. I want you to promise that you won't throw yourself into danger because of me, I couldn't bear it if you were really hurt protecting me." Usagi said genuinely.

"I can't." Rei said plainly.

"Why?" Usagi implored.

Rei took a deep breath and replied, "Because…. 'you're the most precious thing in this world and if anyone is worth dying for you are' your life is worth more than mine is."

"That's not true! Your life is just as important as mine is, I couldn't handle it if anyone gave up their life so I could live." Usagi said genuinely. "All of you did that for me once already…"

"Usagi, listen to me." Rei said as she moved closer to Usagi and took hold of her hand. "I could never put my life ahead of yours and there is nothing you can say that will change that. I know this isn't what you want to hear and I'm sorry, but it's just the way I feel." Rei stopped when she saw that nothing she was saying seemed to cheer Usagi up. "Besides it will never come to that, we're destined to live in Crystal Tokyo, remember?" Rei felt a pain in her chest when forced herself to say what fate had already ordained, but it was the only thing she could think to say that would cheer up Usagi and her pain was easy to bear if it made her princess feel better.

"I know, but it doesn't make me feel any better when someone is hurt because of me." Usagi said.

"You feel that way because you care about us, but we do what we do because we care about you, you understand, right?" Rei said

"Yeah, I understand." Usagi said as wiped away fresh tears. Rei took that as her accepting her answers even if she may not like them. "Is that all you wanted to tell me Usagi?" Rei asked hoping that would change the current subject.

"Actually, there is something else I wanted to discuss with you." Usagi responded, she did promise Yuuichirou that she would talk to Rei about something too. "Yuuichirou seems to think you're more on edge than usual and I would have to agree with him. Is something bothering you Rei?"

"Nothing's bothering me." Rei said a little quicker than had she intended, "I mean, I may have snapped at him a couple times today, but that's only because I didn't sleep well." Rei said hoping Usagi wouldn't question her further.

"Why didn't you sleep well?" Usagi asked warily.

"It's nothing to worry about, really." Rei said when she saw disbelief on Usagi's face. "I just couldn't get comfortable, every position I tried just aggravated my shoulder. It feels much better now, really" Rei said not very convincingly though.

"Why do I think you're telling me the entire truth?" Usagi asked.

"It is the truth." Rei said a little defensively. "What could I get out of lying?"

"I would leave you alone about it." Usagi stated.

"True. But I'm not lying." Rei said in the most sincere voice she could.

"Ok, but I think you should apologize to Yuuichirou for snapping at him, he really does care about you." Usagi finally conceded.

"Alright, I'll apologize to him." Rei said.

"That's good to hear." Usagi said happily. "Oh my, it's that late already. I really need to head home; my mom is probably wondering where I am." Usagi said when she looked at the wall clock in Rei's room.

"I'll walk you home then" Rei offered.

"You really don't need to." Usagi responded.

"I'll feel better if I do." Rei said.

"Alright." Usagi agreed. She picked up her school things and Rei put on a jacket and they both left her bedroom.

"Grandpa, I'm going to walk Usagi home!" Rei called down the hallway.

"Alright. Sayonara Usagi!" Grandpa Hino called back.

"Sayonara!" Usagi said. With that Rei and Usagi left the shrine and headed to Tsukino residence.

"What's happening?" Sailor Pluto asked though there was no one with her. 'What does all this mean, what is the connection I see between Rei and this new enemy? If this change occurs in the time line…everything will be different.'

Sailor Pluto stood in front of a gigantic gate, which she had just come though looking very confused and very unlike her usual demeanor. 'I don't know what to do, if let events carry out the way they are it could be disastrous, but I don't know what course of action to take. This isn't how it was supposed to happen. Maybe I should just let happen what will; what I saw is only one possibility it may not happen at all. I have to talk with Rei, I need to hear her feelings.'

End of Ch. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point on chapters will be much longer.


	7. Encounter with a Sorcerer

Chapter 7 – Encounter with a Sorcerer

* * *

"See, there was nothing to worry about. I'm home and nothing happened on the way here." Usagi said as she stopped in front of her house.

"Yeah, but I just needed to make sure for myself." Rei said blushing slightly. She hoped it was dark enough for her princess not to notice. Rei quickly glanced over to the blond and sighed, 'Good, she didn't notice, but I know something is going happen; I can feel it'

"You know, you're the one who should be careful. You're not in any condition to guard anyone." Usagi said breaking Rei out of her train of thought.

Rei gave Usagi questioning look, "I don't ever recall saying that I was guarding you." She remarked offhandedly.

"Really, then why did you insist upon walking me home then?"

"Well, you know it's getting late and I just wanted to make sure you didn't get lost, it's rather dark already, Odango Atama." Rei said teasingly as she looked around the star filled sky.

"Rei, why are you so mean to me?" Usagi wailed.

'I guess that did the trick.' Rei thought happily since she finally succeed in lighting the mood, it had been pretty depressing since their conversion at the jinja. "Come on Odango, you should get inside before you really do end up worrying your parents."

"Oh yeah!" Usagi ran over to the front door, but before she opened it she turned around and waved good-bye to Rei, "See you tomorrow!" She exclaimed with a big smile on her face.

Rei couldn't help but smile too when she saw the other girl's cheerful attitude. The raven haired girl waved back until Usagi shut the door, 'At least I know she's safely home' Rei thought as she looked at Usagi's house a little longer before turning to head back to the Hikawa Jinja. 'It's possible that I'm wrong and that the enemy won't do anything tonight.' Just as she finished her thought when she realized she wasn't alone. Rei stopped and reached into her jean pocket and grabbed hold of her desired object, her henshin stick.

**SNAP**

Rei heard a twig break to her left so she whipped around in that direction all the while clutching her henshin stick in pocket once she focused in the direction of the sound she shouted, "Show yourself! Now!"

A tall figure with long hair stepped out from behind the large tree that Rei was fixated on. Upon seeing who stepped into her line of vision, Rei's faced changed from one that was angry to one of surprise.

* * *

Haruka had been driving for a good fifteen minutes and neither she nor Michiru had spotted anything suspicious, the senshi of wind sped up the car as she rounded another corner, "I know it's frustrating, but the fact that we haven't come across anything  _is_  a good thing." Michiru said.

"I know, but I still want to punch a hole in a wall." Haruka said and let out a frustrated sigh.

Michiru smiled and put a comforting hand over her lovers' which was gripping the stick shift, "It's only natural for you to be annoyed, but the enemy isn't going jump out of shadows, we need to be calm."

Just as Michiru finished her statement a rather large ball of orange energy shot across the up-coming intersection forcing Haruka to slam on to the breaks, the car skidded and left tire marks in its wake. The energy ball collided with a parked SUV, causing it to explode sending flames high into the air. The explosion blew out the windows of a clothing store on the corner, while the flames ignited a second car that exploded as well, doing similar damage as the first explosion. "Where the hell did that come from?" Haruka said once the car reached a complete stop.

"I think we have him to thank." Michiru said pointing at the silhouette of a figure in the smoke.

* * *

"So Minako, do you want to better explain what's going on?" Artemis asked when he jumped on to Minako's bed.

"What do you mean?" Minako asked casually.

"What do  _you_  mean, 'what do I mean'? You've been acting strange since we left Rei's and the only thing you said was weird too, if something is wrong you should tell us." Artemis said.

"Yes, especially if it involves Usagi. If you think she's in danger…" Luna started, the black cat had decided to go home with Minako and go to Usagi's place later since she was going to stay a little while longer at Rei's anyway.

"No, it's nothing like that; at least I don't think so. It's just a feeling I had, but like I already said it's nothing you need to worry about." Minako said cutting off Luna, 'I knew I shouldn't have said anything'.

"What kind of feeling?" Luna questioned.

"Really don't worry about it, I'll figure it out. So, if you don't mind I would really like to go to sleep, all of your questions are just making my headache worse." Minako said rubbing her temples as she sat on her bed next to Artemis.

"Minako you can't avoid these questions. You were the one you originally brought this up." Artemis said.

"Then I'm sorry I brought it up in the first place." Minako said turning to both cats before continuing a soft sigh escaped her lips, "Look, I need to speak with Rei and Usagi first; it's not my place to say anything yet. I'll talk to them and if I need to I'll you about this, but only then will I talk to you about this again." Minako finished in a commanding tone.

Minako waited for their response and after the cats shared a look they slowly nodded their heads. "Alright, now that that's settled; I really need to go to sleep." Minako said and fell back in her bed tiredly.

Artemis then jumped off the bed and joined Luna on the floor and they walked far enough away from the Minako so she couldn't hear them, "Sometimes even though they are still young they prove to me how strong they've become and when they are really serious about something, I can see what great women they will become. It kind of makes me feel a little useless though. They don't really need us anymore." Artemis said with a bit of sadness in his voice.

Luna gave Artemis a little smile, "I know what you mean Usagi has grown up so much in the last few years. Not only is she stronger magically, but she has matured greatly. However, they still need our guidance. The fact that Minako wouldn't tell us about this feeling worries me, especially if it involves the princess." Luna said worriedly.

"I know, but I also trust Minako. We should let her deal this for now and if need be we can also investigate this, but not yet, we need to have faith in Minako." Artemis said and motioned for Luna to follow him out of the room to give the sleeping senshi of love some peace.

* * *

"What's up Ames, I mean you've been really quiet since we dropped off Minako?" Makoto said after the two had walked a few blocks away from Minako's home. 'Ami's been quiet since they had left Rei's, actually.' Makoto thought.

"Huh…Oh well was just thinking." Ami replied.

Ami thinking isn't unusual, but her not talking about what's on her mind is. "Thinking bout what?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Not much really: about the enemy, what Minako said earlier, and some other stuff." Ami said leaving out the thing that was most on her mind, the tall brown-haired woman standing next her. 'It wasn't a lie though.' Ami reasoned with herself, 'I did say other stuff, maybe she will leave it at that.' Ami silently hoped.

"Oh." Makoto said sounding a little disappointed.

'Is she upset I didn't tell her  _what_  other stuff' Ami thought as she looked at Makoto as if she could figure out what the other girl is thinking just by looking at her. She turned away when she realized she was staring. Makoto didn't seem to notice however, she seemed to be the one in thought this time.

"Umm…Ami…I didn't do something to upset you, did I?" Makoto asked.

"No, why would you think that?" Ami said a little confused

"You've been acting unusually distant with me, but you've been acting the same way you normally do around the others." Makoto said sounding a little hurt.

Ami did little to hide the shock, 'I didn't…at least didn't mean to. I only wanted to make everything easier for me, I was selfish and didn't think that I would hurt you, I  _never_  wanted to do that.' Ami thought when she saw that she was hurting Makoto. "I'm sorry Makoto. I know I've been keeping to myself a lot recently, but that's only because felt I had to think about some things. I didn't do it to hurt you or because you had done anything, I just needed to think about stuff on my own." Ami told her truthfully.

"Really?" Makoto asked cautiously.

Ami nodded, "Really."

"I'm glad." Makoto said happily, but stopped a few seconds later.

"What is it?" Ami asked curiously.

"I think we passed your house already." Makoto answered. Ami looked around and saw that she was right; her house was on the last block. Ami looked at Makoto and they both started laughing.

* * *

"S-Setsuna?" Rei asked not believing her eyes.

"Yes, Rei." Setsuna replied simply as she stepped into the light provided by a nearby streetlight.

"Where…? What…? I mean it's good to see you and all, but why were you hiding?" Rei finally got out.

Setsuna couldn't suppress a little chuckle, which of very unlike her, but it was just as unlike Rei to stumble so badly over her words. "Which is it you would like me to answer first, Rei?"

Rei took a deep breath to compose herself better before speaking, "First, where have you been?"

"I've been at the Gates of Time, searching for something to aid us against this new enemy." She stated calmly.

"Did you learn anything that would help?" The raven haired girl asked anxiously.

"I did learn some things." Setsuna said cryptically.

Rei gave her a puzzled look at first, but quickly realized that she was most likely being so vague because she would be 'endangering the timeline' otherwise. "I guess that's the best answer you can give, so I'll move on to my next question. What are you doing here? If you're here to see Usagi, she's already home and probably asleep by now."

"I'm not here to speak with the princess. Actually, I'm here to speak with you." Setsuna said calmly.

The same puzzled looked from moments earlier returned, 'Speak with me? Why?' Rei asked herself. "Why do you want to speak with me?"

"It has to do with what I have learned at the Gates of Time, actually. I just need to ask you a couple things, but I need you to be honest with me." Setsuna said in professional manner.

"I'll be honest with you, but please stop avoiding the reason you came here and say what it is you would like to ask me." Rei said concerned about what she had to do with anything.

Setsuna smiled, "You're right I should stop avoiding my questions. I knew you would want me to get straight to the point, sorry. You must answer this sincerely, Rei are you in love with Usagi?" Setsuna asked seriously.

Rei's eyes widened and she suddenly found it difficult to breath, she  _never_  expected that to be a question Setsuna wanted to ask her. 'Can I tell her the truth? I said I would be honest and I can't go back on my word, but how can I tell her. There's no way she could understand, what I feel for her goes beyond love. Why is she asking me this?' "W-What?" was all Rei could say.

* * *

"Do we call for back-up?" Michiru asked turning to Haruka.

Haruka seemed to think it over for few seconds before speaking, "No, we transform and destroy this thing." Michiru nodded her head, but hoped this is the right decision.

URANUS PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP

NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP

"World Shaking!"

Uranus hurled a large yellow ball of energy at the seemingly unsuspecting youma. The collision caused another explosion that rocked the ground and created even more smoke. After a few minutes the smoke began to clear and laughter could be heard amidst the smoke filled street.

"Is that the way women of this planet introduce themselves? Horrible manners." a voice in the smoke said between laughs.

"Show yourself!" Uranus commanded.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very well." a figure then stepped into view.

The very human looking being could finally be seen with out smoke obscuring him. Black was obviously his favorite color because his outfit was all black expect for trimmings of gold. He wore helmet type object on his head that had golden blades extending from the sides and top. The helmet covered most of his face as well, only his yellow eyes and blue lips were visible. His skin was a purplish white, it look as though he was dead. He had black leather pants, black leather covered with golden spikes that protected his shoulders, and black leather, spike covered bracers that covered his forearms. His chest, upper arms, and hands were unprotected however.

"Who the hell are you?" Uranus demanded.

"I was right; you have no manners at all. You expect me to tell you who I am before you two introduce yourselves. Of course, I know the two of you are Sailor Senshi, but which two are you?" the figure asked as he inspected the two senshi.

'I don't like how casual this guy is, but if we want to know who he is...' Neptune thought. "I am Sailor Neptune."

"And I am Sailor Uranus."

"Now was that so difficult." he smirked and continued, "I am called the Sorcerer of Chaos. Do you wish to fight me, Sailor Senshi?" the Sorcerer asked with a smile on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Neptune asked.

"I am here to do exactly as my name says, cause chaos. And I was having fun until you butted in." the sorcerer said as he look at Uranus.

"If that is the case you will stop you right here!" Uranus yelled to the sorcerer.

The leather clad youma began laughing again, to which Uranus responded by balling her fists tightly at her side in anger. "This guy is really pissing me off." Uranus muttered under her breath. "What's so funny?" Uranus yelled.

"Why you of course." the sorcerer said still chuckling. "Forgive me I should be more serious. You actually believe you can defeat me? Call the rest of Sailor pals and you may have a shot, but if you think you can defeat me with that level of attack that you used earlier. You don't have a chance in hell!" he said in more serious tone.

"You talk too damn much!" Uranus shouted and toward him to start the battle.

"Uranus don't! He wants to charge blindly at him!" Neptune called, but Uranus was too fixated on killing this guy.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

Uranus' energy blades went flying toward the youma and even as the attack came closer and closer to the sorcerer he remained remarkably calm. Just as the blades were about to hit he made a movement with his hands and a near invisible shield appeared in front of him and the energy blades collided with it instead of him. The force of the attack did drive him back slightly, but outside of that he remained unscathed.

'He must have used that same technique earlier against Uranus' other attack.' Neptune concluded.

"Futile. It seems you'll need me to show you what I mean since you insist upon do this. It's my turn now." the youma said before smiling.

The sorcerer held his hand above his head and began chanting something and soon dark clouds formed over head, "This doesn't look good." Uranus said looking from the black cloud-like matter back to the sorcerer. When he realized she was looking at him the small smile on his grew to a wide grin. Uranus then heard him mutter the last words of his chant, "Black Lighting"

The sorcerer began lowering his hand so his palm would be pointing at Uranus, but stopped and instead turned to the left slightly and pointed at Neptune. Once he was pointing at Neptune the clouds started to rumble and somewhere between 15 and 20 bolts of purplish lighting came shooting down towards and unsuspecting Neptune.

"MICHIRU! MOVE!" Uranus screamed as she saw what was about to happen.

* * *

"I mean exactly what I asked, are you in love with the Moon Princess, Rei?" Setsuna asked again.

Rei began racking her brain for an answer, 'should I tell Setsuna the truth or lie. Hell even if I were to lie Setsuna probably already knows the answer to her question anyway, so why was she asking me this? Is she trying to get some kind of perverse pleasure out of having  _me_  tell her something she knows will lead to nothing anyway? No, Setsuna isn't like that, how could I think such a thing? But why then?'

"Please Setsuna, why are you asking me this?" Rei asked holding back the tears that threatened to spill out.

"Rei…I wouldn't ask this if I didn't feel I had to." Setsuna said sadly. But just by judging Rei's reaction she'd already surmised how Rei truly feels about the princess, she did still wish to hear it from the girl directly. 'I didn't expect such a thing in this lifetime. Perhaps that was my mistake…'

"I…I…" Rei started, but stopped, she felt an ominous aura, and turned around to look at downtown Tokyo. There was large black cloud covering the city. 'What timing?' Rei thought as her attention turned to the black cloud.

"What is it?" Setsuna asked.

"There is an enormous evil aura at the center of that black cloud. Something is happening there, we need to get there. Fast!" Rei said turning back to Setsuna.

The green haired woman lowered her head momentarily, "I did hope we could have finished this before then. I guess I took too long." Setsuna sighed and continued, "We can continue this conversion later; Uranus and Neptune need our help."

"Alright, we can finish this at the jinja tomorrow." Rei said though she didn't look forward to, but she couldn't be thinking about that now. Rei thought back to what Setsuna had just said and remember she mentioned Uranus and Neptune, "Wait, Uranus and Neptune? Damn it, I told them what they were doing was unwise." Rei said.

"How are you physically though, I know you are injured Rei." Setsuna asked as they headed to her car, which wasn't parked to far away.

"I can still fight, if that is what you're asking." Rei said a little defensively than she would have liked.

"If you say so, get in." Setsuna seemed not to notice the tone of Rei's statement however, since she had other things on her mind. Once they were both safely into the car, Setsuna drove away.

* * *

Once Neptune realized the danger she was in she tried to get out of the path of the attack, but lighting was attracted to her and after she only able to take two steps the lighting came down upon her mercilessly.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Neptune screamed in agony as the bolts of lighting struck her body, each one sending thousands of volts of electricity through her. Neptune couldn't move once the lighting started hitting her, it was as if she was paralyzed and that only made her an easier target.

"MICHIRU!" Uranus yelled and ran to try to help her love, somehow. When she reached Michiru she was struck in the chest by a stray bolt and sent back into the direction she had just came from, landing on her stomach. Haruka felt how painful it was to be hit by one, but Michiru was being struck by 20 times as many and that had to be excruciating. Haruka began getting up again to make another attempt to get to Michiru, "M-Michiru." Uranus said weakly.

Uranus was one all fours and preparing to stand when a black boot smashed into the side of her face sending her back down into the pavement. A pale hand grabbed her hair and pulled head up, "Did you honestly think I didn't still have control of those lighting bolts? Now just sit back and watch." the sorcerer said as he turned Uranus head so she could watch Neptune.

"It's almost over, but the last part is the best." he said and smiled as the last lighting bolts hit Neptune. When the lighting storm ended Neptune fell to her knees and no longer able sustain her transformation she reverted back to Kaiou Michiru. Michiru fell forward onto the pavement unconscious and as she lay on her stomach she started convulsing.

"What the hell kind of sick bastard are you?" Uranus yelled trying to turn her head to face the despicable creature.

"You know, I'm hurt by that comment. I was nice enough to end her torture before she was fried to death. Hell I was even kind enough to *let* you watch. I'm done with being nice!" the youma said and drove Uranus' head into the ground and got up from the crouching position he was in and kicked Uranus in her side which sent her skidding across the pavement.

"It's time to end this. I had even considered only injuring you because you made me laugh, but you have sealed your own fate. It's too bad your friend is in no condition to watch your demise, but I'll be your audience." the youma jumped back a couple time to give himself space. He held his left hand in front of his face and his right hand in front of his stomach and both of his hands switched positions in a circular motion then a circle formed between his hands. An orange energy ball formed in that circle and it grew until reached his hands. "Sayonara Sailor Uranus."

The sorcerer prepared to fire the energy ball when…

"Dead Scream!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The two attacks collided with the sorcerer's unprotected back from the left and right, the force of the attacks propelled him face first into the ground and the shock of actually being struck was enough to break his concentration. With his concentration broken the energy he was building also disappeared. As he lay there motionless Rei and Setsuna turned their focus to Haruka and Michiru and saw they were both in awful states.

"Check on Haruka, I'll see how Michiru is doing." Mars ordered and Pluto nodded her head.

They separated and Pluto reached Uranus first, she quickly inspected her injuries to determine if would be alright to move her or not. Haruka obviously had a broken nose as well as several other lacerations to her face and arms. She had a burn on her chest and boot impression on the side of her fuku. Setsuna decided to risk moving her onto her back; she was lying on her side at the moment. "Haruka, you ok?" Pluto asked softly as touched her shoulder.

Haruka opened her eyes sleepily, "S-Sets…Setsuna?" Uranus asked not quiet believe her eyes; Pluto merely nodded and gave her a weary smile. Her smile faded when she heard Mars call to her.

Mars reached Michiru and could see something horrible had happened to her, Michiru was no long Sailor Neptune which wasn't a good sign, only if you sustain some very serious injures would a transformation fade. Mars bent down to touch her, but her hand was struck by a small bolt of electricity which forced her to withdraw her hand. "Chikusho." Mars cursed under her breathe. Rei made another attempt and as her hands got closer to Michiru they were shocked more and more, but Rei didn't stop and finally she was able reach Michiru, she grabbed hold of her arm and she carefully turned her over so she was on her back. Rei brought her hand to her neck to feel for a pulse, she had one but it was barely noticeable. Rei then proceeded to check on her breathing, it was slow and shallow; this wasn't good she need to get to a hospital fast!

"Pluto! Michiru is barely breathing! We need to get her to hospital as soon as possible!" Mars called over to Pluto who was tending to Uranus.

Once Rei's words reached Uranus' ears she began getting up, "Michiru…" Uranus mumbled as she attempted to stand.

"Wait!" Pluto yelled grabbing Uranus arm to stop her, "You can't do anything for her right now! I'll call for an ambulance, but you stay where you are!" Pluto got up, but before she could go anywhere a black energy ball hit her in the chest and sent her flying back into a car parked on the street. Since the attack was unexpected she wasn't able to put up much of a defense against it. Pluto's back slammed into the windshield of the car shattering it. She didn't move from where she landed either, she appeared to be unconscious.

"You didn't think I was done in just yet, did you?" the sorcerer sneered.

"Shit, this guy should be dead. He was hit by my strongest attack and Pluto's 'dead scream'." Mars said and bent down to tell Michiru something, "If you can hear me Michiru, hold on a little longer we'll get you to the hospital. I just need to take care of one scum-bag." Mars said quietly before standing to face the reawaken sorcerer.

"How is Neptune doing over there?" the sorcerer said cocking his head towards Mars.

"That's none of your damn business. I will be you opponent now!" Mars yelled angrily.

"Well let's get right down to business then." The sorcerer said now giving his full attention to Mars. He gave Mars a curious look and spoke once again, "You are the Senshi of Fire are you not?"

"I am. What's it to you?" Mars asked. 'This youma is much more intelligent than average youma. He doesn't just attack without thinking; he has to be planning something.' Mars thought.

"Oh nothing really, I just want to know if you were the one to leave this burn mark on my back. It's rare for two fighters to hit me with their attacks. I must have been too preoccupied with Uranus to feel the two of you coming." the sorcerer said offhandedly. "But now I'm ready for you, Sailor Mars."

"You talk big, but let's see how you fare in combat." Mars said itching to finish this guy off. She needed to get her friends some serious medical attention.

"Fire Soul!"

Mars shot the fire ball and her aim was dead on. 'I'll end this with one shot. Why isn't he trying to avoid it though?' Mars thought. The sorcerer then performed the same technique he used against Uranus' 'space sword blaster' and created a shield to block the fire ball. "Masaka!" Mars said in disbelief.

"Come on, that was as worse than Uranus' attack. That's pathetic." he said as if he was displeased by Mars' effort. "Allow me to show you real power!"

He proceeded to crouch and hold his right hand in front of himself. Mars look at curiously, 'what the hell is he doing?' Soon Mars felt an up-surge in his energy level; he was collecting energy into his right hand. A black energy ball appeared and grew from the size of a softball to the size of a basketball, the caster then smiled evilly at Mars.

"Darkness Orb!" The sorcerer released the ball of energy and threw it straight at Mars.

"Oh Crap!" Mars shouted and ran to the sidewalk. She turned towards the intersection in hopes of getting around the corner and avoiding the energy ball, but it seems to be following her. 'Damn it. How is this thing able to track me?' Rei thought, just then out of the corner of her eye she saw the sorcerer directing the energy ball with his hand. 'There's only one way to get out of this…' Rei thought. Quickly she changed course and ran straight at the sorcerer, 'Hopefully he won't understand what I'm doing until its too late.'

Rei continued her run until she was no more than an arms' length away from the youma. She gave him a quick smile and jumped high into the air. The sorcerer's eyes widened when he realized what she had just done. Before he had a chance to do anything his own attack struck him causing a huge explosion and Mars, who was still in the air, was sent soaring back into the wall of the store on the corner by the effect of the blast.

"Aaagghhh!" Mars cried as she collided with the wall. Crashing into the brick wall had aggravated her sore ribs and shoulder, 'this pain is a small price to pay if it meant destroying that youma.' Mars thought as she landed gracefully on the ground. Mars cautiously walked over where the youma was standing moments ago. She began looking for the remains of the slain youma, but she couldn't find a trace of him.

"Damn it! Where the hell did he go?" Mars said and frantically searched the area, but again found nothing. "Screw it! I don't sense his presence anymore anyway. Besides I have call for couple of ambulances." Mars said as she gave up her search for the missing youma.

* * *

"That  _bitch_  almost killed me! What the hell kind of psycho is she? I didn't think she would pull a crazy stunt like that, I wasn't told she was nuts. I'm going to give  _that woman_  an ear-full when I get back." The sorcerer said as he stumbled away from the battle area.

He was limping due to a deep gash in his leg just above the knee from some concrete that had struck his leg. The ground had creaked when energy ball hit him and some pieces of the pavement flew in different directions. His left arm was limp at his side because he vainly tried to protect himself with that arm, it was most likely broken. He also had numerous other wounds on his body, but most were minor cuts.

"That bitch is going to pay! I'll be back, but with allies of my own!" the sorcerer called out in a rage.

* * *

'Good thing there was a phone booth close by.' Rei thought as she hurried back to her friends. Rei noticed as she got closer that Pluto or rather Setsuna was finally up and tending to the fallen senshi. Uranus had also de-transformed and was sitting next to Michiru, who was still unconscious. "Hey I just called for an ambulance, so they should be here any minute." Rei said once she was sure they'd be able to hear her.

"I assumed that was where you went." Setsuna said calmly, considering the situation.

"How's Michiru doing?" Rei asked cautiously.

"She hasn't woken up, if that's what you're asking. I think she's in the same condition she was in earlier." Setsuna said. Haruka though remained quiet as she stared at Michiru's still form. "What happened to the youma?" Setsuna asked.

"He got away, but he was injured so he shouldn't recover anytime soon." Rei said and upon finishing her statement she heard sirens getting closer. "Sounds like help is almost." Rei said as she sat down on the curb next to Setsuna, wincing slight as tried to give her tired body some much needed rest.

End Ch. 7

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first big fight, but many more to come.


	8. It Just Doesn't Get Any Easier

Chapter 8 – It Just Doesn't Get Any Easier

* * *

The Sorcerer finally recovered enough energy to open a door to his 'home'. Though he was still limping the Sorcerer of Chaos dragged himself to a mansion-like estate, which could be considered the central headquarters of their faction. The sorcerer ignored the comments he was receiving about his condition. 'They are all ones to talk; they haven't even faced the Sailor Senshi yet. Good for nothing bastards, once I get my revenge on Mars I'll come back and kill all of them for their worthlessness.' the sorcerer thought as he kept his cold stare pointed forward towards a double-door entrance just ahead.

"You don't honestly expect to see my lady looking like you do?" the youma guarding the doors chuckled as he scrutinized the Sorcerer's appearance. The youma guard looked like a humanoid dragon: he was a brownish red color, with a tail, a tough hide, sharp nails, and teeth that looked like they could tear anything apart. Oddly enough the creature carried a Naginata with him, though he appeared to be skilled enough with his bare hands.

"Stand aside Ryuji! I need to have a word with her!" the sorcerer growled angrily.

"Not as you are! Do not speak so disrespectfully of her, or I will slice you down where you stand!" Ryuji countered viciously as he took a step towards the sorcerer.

The two youma prepared to have it out with one another, only to be stopped by a voice behind the double-doors. "Calm yourself Ryuji, allow him entrance. I wish to hear how the confrontation went."

"As you wish, my lady." Ryuji said bowing to the doors. Ryuji stood up slowly after bowing from a minute or so, only to irate the sorcerer more. He opened the doors and allowed the sorcerer to pass, but gave him a cold and deadly stare which was returned with an equally dark stare by sorcerer.

Ryuji, the personal bodyguard of their leader, never liked this 'Sorcerer of Chaos', and could not understand why their leader would bring in a traitorous bastard like him. He always looked at their leader with hatred in his eyes; something that Ryuji, the most loyal follower, could not tolerate. If he were to ever make any move to hurt their leader, Ryuji would not hesitate in killing the deceitful demon.

Ryuji followed the sorcerer inside and began closing the doors once again, only to be halted by his mistress again. "You needn't stay, Ryuji. Kyoji has no intention of harming me today." she said calmly looking at Ryuji, unconcerned about the sorcerer.

"But…" Ryuji started by felt his mistress' features harden; he could not see her for she was shrouded in darkness. "My apologies, I will leave you now." Ryuji corrected himself and left the two alone in the room.

With the door closed the leader turned her attention on the beaten and bruised sorcerer. "I take it you didn't fare as well as you assumed you would." The leader said after looking over Kyoji's battered body.

"That's a fucking understatement! I had soundly beaten the outers, I'm pretty sure one is dead, but Mars was there too. And she is the reason my appearance is how see!" Kyoji shouted.

"Ah…Ah…Ah, such a temper. Let me warn you right now, if you dare to raise your voice when speaking with me again, I *will* kill you. Don't forget you are only alive now because you agreed to aid me against the Sailor Senshi." the leader said.

"I remember." Kyoji answered simply, though he made little attempt to hide his distain.

* * *

Flashback ~ 4 years ago

A slightly younger Kyoji laid on the sandy plane a bloody mess. His left arm was broken; he had a deep gash on his forehead which allowed blood flow down his face and into his eyes obscuring his vision. He had a stab wound on his side which caused him to loss a considerable amount of blood, his right leg seemed to be broken or at least fractured because couldn't seem to use it.

'How could this little slut have beaten me so easily?' Kyoji asked himself.

The woman wore black pants and a black shirt. She also wore a long black cape with a hood to completely cover her face. She moved over to the fallen sorcerer and held her katana in front the youma and prepared to deliver the final blow to the fowl creature, but…

"Please, I beg you spare me! I'll do what ever you want!" Kyoji pleaded.

She halted her blade just centimeters away from his throat, "What ever I want?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, anything!" Kyoji pleaded.

The warrior in black held her katana in the same position a few moments longer, before sheathing it. "Very well, I shall spare your life for now. In return you must aid me in fighting the Sailor Senshi. Your oath will not be fulfilled until you are dead, by my hands or by one of the Senshi. Train until I call for you, for if you remain as weak as you are now you will be useless to me and I will kill you the next time we meet."

"I accept your offer and am grateful." Kyoji bowed so low to the ground his face was in the sand. He looked up after his statement to find that he was alone; the mysterious black clad woman had left as soon as he said 'accept'.

End Flashback

* * *

Kyoji had trained, for two reasons he would destroy the Sailor Senshi like he agreed, but once that was done he slay that bitch had met on his home planet. This woman sitting in front him seemed to know that he planed to kill her, but didn't seem bothered by it at all. 'I will *never* be humiliated like I was back then ever again.' that was a promise he made to himself when he began his training. That promise was broken today, he was not beaten as badly as before, but if it was possible he was more irritated by this latest defeat than the one on his home planet. Mars had used *his own* attack against him, something he could not let stand. If he wanted to kill this bitch sitting in front of him he would have to kill the Sailor Senshi first.

"So tell me how it was you were defeated, Kyoji?" she questioned. The youma went on to explain what happened as he was asked to.

"So it was Mars was it?" she said simply and paused to think for a couple of minutes, "And you say you want some of my youma at your disposal to fight the senshi." She sat in her chair and taped her finger on her chin for a little while longer, "Kenjiro!"

Suddenly youma, dressed similar to a ninja, stepped out of the shadows. His emergence startled the sorcerer, though he tried not to show it. It appeared that he was in the room the entire time. "Yes. My lady." he said bowing to her.

"I want you to fetch me two dozen strong youma, they will be assisting Kyoji in his effort to defeat the Sailor Senshi." The youma nodded in response and disappeared into the darkness again.

"You know what it means to fail again, don't you?" she asked the youma.

"I will not fail!" Kyoji said confidently.

* * *

Michiru arrived at the hospital in what the doctors called 'critical but stable condition'. Haruka fought with doctors to try and stay with Michiru, but she needed to get medical attention as well. It took a while, but Rei and Setsuna finally convinced Haruka to get treatment after a long argument; Haruka blamed herself for what happened. "I was the one who should have been hurt like that." Haruka kept insisting. There was nothing either senshi could do or say that would get her to understand that it was that youma's fault and no one else's.

Once things calmed down a bit at the hospital Rei had no choice but to contact all the senshi that were not present at the battle. Everyone needed to know about what had happened, with the youma and the condition Michiru and Haruka were in. Rei decided it best that she contact everyone at once over their communicators, rather than each individually. "Attention all Senshi a battle has just occurred and Michiru is in pretty bad shape and Haruka isn't doing to hot either. We are currently at the hospital. I repeat, Attention all Senshi a battle has just occurred and Michiru is in pretty bad shape and Haruka isn't doing to hot either. We are currently at the hospital."

Despite how late it was all the senshi made it to the hospital within a half hour. Ami arrived first, followed shortly after by Minako, Usagi and Makoto. All of them were surprised to see Setsuna there, but their greetings were more subdued than they would have been normally for obvious reasons. Rei quietly explained the battle she had with the youma to her friends, in the near empty waiting area.

"So he seemed to know a lot about the Sailor Senshi in general?" Ami asked and received an affirmative nod from Rei.

"Did he say who he was or what he was doing here?" Makoto asked.

"He called himself the Sorcerer of Chaos and said he was here to do as his name said 'cause chaos'." Haruka said as she walked up to her friends with a shadow over her eyes.

"Haruka!" all the senshi said in unison and Haruka gave a weak smile.

"I came down here to tell Rei and Setsuna how Michiru is doing, I didn't expect everyone to be here too." Haruka said, but without her usual bravado.

"Rei called all of us and told us what happened. All of us came as soon as we heard. How is Michiru doing?" Usagi said and got up to give Haruka gentle hug.

"The good news is that Michi is awake now." Haruka said and the group let out a sigh of relief. "But she has third-degree burns over various parts of her body and she doesn't remember anything that happened tonight, but the doctors say that it may only be temporary though."

"But she's going to recover, right?" Usagi asked cautiously

"Yes bunny, but she is going to need time." Haruka said and the group let out another relived sigh. "It's my fault she is in that condition." Haruka said quietly, but not quietly enough for her fellow senshi members not hear.

"Stop it. You can't blame yourself for what happened. The youma was one who did that to Michiru, not you." Rei reasoned.

"You weren't there!" Haruka said a little too loudly which caused a few heads to turn in her direction. "I should have been hit with that attack, but he targeted Michiru instead. I was the one who wanted a fight, I was the one who charged him, I was the one to attack him, but he attacked Michiru when he should have attacked me." Haruka said quieter than before, but with just as much pain in her voice.

"Haruka, you can't do this to yourself. Does it help Michiru for you to act like this?" Makoto asked, but Haruka didn't respond.

"If you want to blame anyone blame the youma that did this. He's still out there." Rei added.

"He's still alive! I thought you destroyed him!" Haruka said angrily.

"I did the best I could against him. I forced him to hit himself with his own attack and I thought that would be the end of him, but he wasn't destroyed and escaped somehow. I didn't go after him because you and Michiru needed help. I have a feeling we are going to see him again and you need to stop blaming yourself if you want to pay him back for what he did to Michiru." Rei said.

She lowered her head momentarily, "You're right. I need to be stronger than this. I will be prepared when that youma shows up again, thanks everyone." Haruka said sincerely.

After Haruka's statement Minako couldn't suppress a yawn, "Sorry." Minako apologized.

"All of you should really go home and get a proper rest. Thanks for coming, but I'll be fine here." Haruka said after she noticed how tired everyone looked.

"Are you sure?" Ami asked.

"Don't worry. If what Rei feels is right, all of us need to rest up. I'll be fine alone here." Haruka assured them.

At that time all of the senshi got up except for Setsuna, "I'll stay here a little longer and keep Haruka company." Setsuna answered the questioning glances she was getting from her fellow senshi. Rei didn't say anything in response, but she felt that Setsuna was staying there for other reasons than the one she gave.

"Ok, that's a good idea Setsuna. Haruka, please tell Michiru to get better soon and that all of us wish her the best." Usagi said and hugged Haruka one more time.

"Sure princess, I'll tell her." Haruka assured her. "Now get going before all you loss anymore sleep, I'm fine here with Setsuna."

The senshi followed her advice and began leaving; even though they wouldn't admit it all of them were tired and really needed the rest. Before leaving they all said their goodbyes to Haruka and Setsuna and left the hospital.

* * *

Once outside the five gathered together again to discuss when they should met tomorrow, since it was Sunday and they didn't have school. "I say we meet at noon tomorrow." Rei said.

"Noon? Shouldn't we meet earlier than that?" Usagi asked.

"I don't know about you Odango, but I need to get a good amount of sleep to rest my body. Combined with the little sleep I got last night and my third night of fights, I'm pretty exhausted from it all." Rei admitted. "Besides there would be little to do if the meeting were earlier, these youma like to work under the cover of darkness."

"I don't have any complaints about the time." Makoto said.

"Nor do I." Ami agreed.

"Same here." Minako said as well.

"All right, I'll make it unanimous. We meet tomorrow at 12 o'clock at the Hikawa Jinja. One of us should tell Setsuna and Haruka the plan for though." Usagi said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Setsuna already knows, she is the senshi of time after all." Makoto assured her.

"I guess you're right. See everyone tomorrow." Usagi said and turned around to head back to her house.

"I need to get going too, bye." Ami said and left as well.

"I'm going home too, I'm tired. So see both of you later." Makoto said and walked off in the same direction Ami just went.

"I thought you were tired Minako; I figured you'd be the first go back home." Rei said after she watched Makoto disappear into the dark night. She was a little surprised that Minako had stuck around as long as she had.

"I am tired, but I wanted to wait until everyone was gone to ask you something." Minako said.

'Ask me something?' Rei thought, "I don't know why you assumed I would be the last to leave, but what did want to ask me?" Rei questioned.

"Come on Rei, I know you well enough to know that you would be the last to leave." Minako boasted. "I just wanted to know if I could come over a half hour or so early tomorrow to talk to you about a couple things."

"Sure, but I don't see why we can't talk about it now." Rei asked curiously.

"It would take too long, plus it's really getting late. So would that be okay?" Minako asked.

"I guess so." Rei responded, but was still a bit confused by Minako's behavior.

"Great, I'll see you later then!" Minako called with a smile as she walked off.

"Yeah later." Rei said in much more subdued tone. Rei watched Minako leave just as she did her other friends. 'It's funny sometimes how much she resembles Usagi' Rei thought as she let her mind wander. 'They could pass for twins or sisters at least. Even their personalities are similar and yet they are still distinctly different from one another. Usagi likes different things, Usagi smiles differently, Usagi walks differently, Usagi smells different…' She closed her eyes and shook her head to try and rid herself of thoughts that would only hurt, but she was too late. 'Damn I'm so weak, even when I try not to think about her, she always invades my mind. My façade will fail if I continue to let her affect me, even in thoughts. I'm sure Setsuna knows, but that's as far as it can go.'

Rei lowered her head and turned to leave the hospital. As she gazed down and the shine of her wristwatch caught her eye, so she looked closer at and saw the time. "Oh crap!" Rei yelled and began running home. 'Grandpa probably thinks I got lost or left the country or something.' Three hours had past since she left the shrine to walk Usagi home, but that should have taken no more than a half-hour. Rei sped up her pace hoping her Grandfather hadn't gotten too worried.

* * *

"So Setsuna what have you been doing? I know you're not just staying here to keep me company. What do you want to talk about away from the inners?" Haruka said.

"Straight to the point as always, Haruka. I'll try to take up as little of your time as possible, so you can go back to Michiru." Setsuna said knowing that Haruka's forthrightness was due at least in part to Michiru still being in a hospital bed upstairs. "I will be leaving for a short time and I want you to watch over Rei and Usagi and make sure nothing happens."

"What do you mean, 'make sure nothing happens'?" Haruka asked curiously.

"I really can't go into specifics, I'm sorry. But since I may be gone for a little while I need you to do this" Setsuna said seriously.

"Sure, I guess I can do it. It would help if you told me exactly what you are talking about." Haruka said and Setsuna gave her a look she knew well enough, "Right, right, can't interfere with the timeline. If that's all you wanted to tell me; I'll be going back to check on Michiru."

Setsuna nodded her head telling Haruka that that was all she wanted to talk to her about. Upon receiving confirmation Haruka got up from her chair and went back to the elevator she originally came down in, to go back to Michiru. Setsuna sighed sadly once Haruka was gone, 'To be in love….I'm sorry Rei.' Setsuna thought and turned to leave the hospital.

* * *

"Kyoji, there is one more piece of information I wish to pass along to you." the woman shrouded in darkness said as the sorcerer prepared to leave.

"What is it?" the youma asked.

"The human name of Sailor Mars. You see all of the Sailor Senshi attempt to keep their identities secret, but I will pass along the name of Mars to you." the black clad figure said.

"You knew her name all along and you are just now telling me!" Kyoji said trying to control his anger.

"If you do not control yourself, I will not tell you anything." she said and after she saw him regain his composure she continued, "Good. Her name is Hino Rei; that should be enough to get you started. I expect better results this time, since I've given you all you need. Do not return if all the Senshi aren't dead." Kyoji shook his head in response.

* * *

The following morning…

"Finally a good nights' sleep. Maybe it's a good omen for day." Rei said as she got up and stretched, her shoulder felt much better and ribs didn't seem to be as tender both of which she was happy about. She looked over to her clock to make sure she didn't sleep-in too much. "Good it's only ten I've still got plenty of time."

Thankfully Grandpa Hino bought her story about why she was so late. She told him that she had run into one of her friends and they ended up talking for a while. Rei said that she had lost track of the time and didn't realize it was so late, but came home once she did. The story was at least partially true so Rei didn't feel as bad about lying, but Grandpa Hino told her if she was going to be so late she should really call because he was getting worried. He didn't seem as upset as Rei thought he would be, he seemed to be more relived than anything. Grandpa Hino surprised Rei even more by telling her she didn't need to worry about her miko duties Sunday, instead he told her she needed her sleep more, but he also added that she should not to expect this to happen often.

Rei was thankful that she could relax today and went over to her dresser to decide on the clothes she wanted to wear today. After looking through various drawers she finally decided on jeans and a long-sleeved red tee with matching red bra and panties, red is her favorite color after all. With her clothing for the day selected she put on her futon and headed to her private bath.

After a nice and refreshing soak Rei returned to her room and changed. After glancing at her clock again and realized there was still time before Minako said she come, so she decided it would be best to apologize to Yuuichirou for how she acted yesterday, she had promised her princess she would do it after all. Rei finished tying her shoelaces on her black boots and went to where she figured Yuuichirou would be. Sure enough Yuuichirou was sweeping outside the front entrance when Rei made her way to him.

"Hey Yuuichirou!" Rei called as she reached him.

Yuuichirou stop his sweeping and turned his attention to Rei, "Oh, hi Rei I didn't see you coming. How are you today?" Yuuichirou asked

"I'm fine. Yuuichirou…about yesterday, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I wasn't in the best of moods and I took it out on you, I'm sorry." Rei said honestly.

Yuuichirou couldn't believe he had just heard Rei apologize. 'Whatever Usagi said to Rei must have worked. There is no way Rei would have done this without Usagi convincing her to, because she had never done it before.' Yuuichirou was brought out of his thoughts by Rei, "Are you going to just stand there and look shocked?"

"Sorry, apology accepted." Yuuichirou said when found his voice again, Rei merely nodded her head. A blond haired girl behind Yuuichirou caught Rei's attention. Focusing better on the girl Rei realized it was Minako, but without Artemis oddly enough.

"Ohayo Minako!" Rei called.

"Hi Rei, hi Yuuichirou. How are you doing?" Minako asked the young man.

"I'm doing well" he responded.

"Let's go inside Minako, it's a little chilly out here." Rei said.

"Yeah, I didn't think it was going to cool with how sunny it is." Minako agreed. "Ja ne Yuuichirou."

"Ja ne Minako." Yuuichirou responded and went back to sweeping.

Rei lead Minako into the shrine, "Do you want anything to drink?" Rei asked casually.

"No thanks, I'd prefer to start talking before anyone else comes." Minako said.

"Ok. I have to say I'm curious about what you want to talk to me about Minako." Rei said as she sat down on a couch.

"Well, first I'd like to know how you're feeling today. I know you in the worst condition to fight last night and you still ended up having to fight." Minako asked somewhat postponing the real reason she came, that's not say she wasn't concerned for her friends' well-being as well. Minako just wanted to approach the subject cautiously; this was Rei she was talking to after all.

"Thanks for you concern, but I'm really feeling a lot better; a good nights' was all my body needed. Michiru needs your concern more than I do. How are you doing though Minako? Still got any headaches?" Rei asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. No headaches to report today." Minako said comically.

Rei just shook her head at her friends antics, "Now, what did you really come here to talk to me about? I know it wasn't about how I'm feeling, you could have done that outside the hospital last night."

"Actually it does have to do with how you're feeling." Minako noticed the curious look on Rei's face, "Let me explain, recently I've been sensing something from you. Really I've always sensed this from you, it's just been stronger recently and especially around Usagi." Rei's eyes widened as she realized what self proclaimed Goddess of Love was saying, she dreaded what she could tell was coming, "Rei, do you have anything you would like to tell me about Usagi?" Minako asked carefully.

Rei said the first thing that came to her head, "I don't know what you're talking about Minako."

"I think you know perfectly well what I'm talking about. You can't hide this forever. I can see it and I'm sure the other senshi can as well." Minako said.

"Please stop." was all Rei could get out.

"Listen, I can't force you to say anything, but please it will help you to say it out loud." Minako implored.

"Fine, I love her god damn it! I-I'm so in love with her…it hurts…it hurts." Rei said as her tears flowed unbridled down her cheeks. Minako sat down next to her friend and wrapped her arms around Rei. Minako hugged her gently, but Rei clung on to her as if her life depended on it. Rei's body shook as she sobbed on Minako's shoulder, "H-How can l-loving someone h-hurt so much?"

"You really should tell her." Minako said softly

Rei pulled abruptly away from the other girl, "I can't do that!"

"Rei, love is an emotion that if kept bottled up inside it will tear apart your very soul." Minako said as she wiped away the wetness from her friend's cheeks with her thumbs.

"And what exactly do you expect me to do! I can't tell her. She has Mamoru…her prince…her destiny." Rei said dejectedly and moved out of the blonde's reach.

Minako frowned, "Rei, do you honesty think that you can hide this from her forever! Usagi is not stupid, she  _will_  figure it out or she will find out somehow eventually. I know you think you're doing what is best for her, but how can you say that if she doesn't know how you really feel. Do you really think you're being fair to Usagi?"

"Don't…" Rei began but a knock on the main shrine door stopped her.

"Are you going to make me stand out here all day? I'm cold and I even got here early for once." Usagi joked from the other side of the door. Rei's eyes widened upon hearing the voice of other side of the door.

"I can't do this right now." Rei said and ran out the back door of the shrine before Minako could do anything to stop her. 'Damn, why does this have to be the one time Usagi decides to come early' Minako thought as she went to let Usagi in.

When Usagi saw who opened the door, she couldn't really hide the shocked expression. "Oh hey Minako, I didn't think you would be here already. I thought I would surprise Rei by showing up early for a change." Usagi said as she walked into the shrine. Once inside Usagi looked around and turned back to Minako and gave her a questioning look, "Where is Rei? I could have sworn I heard her while I was waiting outside."

Minako quickly thought of something, "Oh, well she wanted to go for a walk before the meeting started to clear her head."

Usagi gave her a look that made Minako think she didn't quite believe what she just said. "If you say so…I just wanted to see the look on Rei's face, since I arrived so early and now she probably won't believe it." Minako laughed softly at Usagi, but all she was thinking and hoping was that Rei was ok.

* * *

Rei ran as fast as she could away from the shrine, 'What the hell is going on, first Setsuna and now Minako. I can't even keep my most important secret a  **secret**! What hell is wrong with me?' Rei wiped her eyes with her sleeve because her vision was blurring. Rei rounded the street corner she was approaching without dropping her speed, but suddenly she was forced to stop when she felt a familiar evil aura. Rei slowly turned around, knowing what she would see standing before her. The same youma from the night before was standing in the middle of the street with his arms folded across his chest.

"Surprised…to see me? I know I would be, Sailor Mars." Kyoji said arrogantly

Rei was shocked to hear him call her by her Senshi name, but she couldn't worry about that now. Rei brought circular object out of her pocket and typed in a few numbers and prepared to speak into it when…a small black energy ball knocked it out of her hand.

The sorcerer shook his head at Rei, "You didn't think I'd let you call any of your senshi pals to help you, did you?" Kyoji gauged Rei annoyed reaction and continued, "This is between you and me now hurry up and transform already. I do not wish to kill you as a pathetic human; I could have done that since you left that shrine of yours. You were probably too caught up in crying over some stupid human problem to notice me, am I right?" Kyoji sneered and Rei reached into her other pocket and pulled out her henshin pen.

MARS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP

After a few moments it was no longer Rei standing in front of the sorcerer, it was Sailor Mars. "I am not in the mood to converse with you, but if it's a fight you want I will be happy to oblige you." Mars said as she clenched her fists at her sides.

End Ch.8

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple important things occurred in this, but of course it leads into a big fight in the next chapter.


	9. Locked in a Duel to the Death

Chapter 9 – Locked in a Duel to the Death

* * *

"Burning Mandala!"

Mars quickly sent rings of fire at the youma, after conjuring her attack she darted forward towards the youma. Kyoji reacted by creating the same invisible shield as before to deflect the fire away, "Pathetic." Kyoji muttered under his breath and let his shield fade away once the fire was gone.

When he dropped his shield Mars was only an arm's length away and with his shield gone the youma was open to attack. Mars jumped into the air making herself known through the smoke, "What!" was all Kyoji could get out before…

Mars preformed a spinning kick to the side the youma's head sending him hard to the ground; his momentum caused him to skid across the ground for few seconds. Once he stopped the youma pulled himself up so that he was on all fours, "I've already seen that trick before. I hope you can do better than that." Mars said as she smirked at the youma.

Kyoji stood up and faced Mars. Once he was facing her he licked the blood off the corner of his mouth and said, "Oh I'll do better, I'll do better."

* * *

"Are you sure she just went for a walk, Minako?" Usagi asked, she getting more concerned by the minute. 'Rei's been gone too long if she was just going for a walk.'

"I'm sure she'll be back any minute now, Usagi." Minako said trying to convince herself as well as Usagi.

"HELP!" a scream came from outside.

"What was that?" Usagi asked.

"That sounded like Yuuichirou. We'd better go check it out." Minako said and Usagi nodded her head in agreement.

The two girls went outside and looked down the stairs to where they knew Yuuichirou was. At the bottom of the steps was something that neither of the girls expected nor wanted to see, about two dozen youma were entering the shrine from its main entrance. Yuuichirou was running up the steps towards the shrine, but youma were chasing him. Minako and Usagi knew they had to do something quick or Yuuichirou was going to be hurt or worse killed.

MOON CRISIS, MAKE UP

VENUS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP

"Venus, go help Yuuichirou. I'm going to call the others and tell them to get here  _now_." Moon said to Sailor Venus and she pulled out her communicator while Venus went to Yuuichirou. "Emergency! The Hikawa Jinja is under attack! I repeat, the Hikawa Jinja is under attack, everyone get down here immediately!" Moon quickly put her communicator away, not waiting for a response and went to help Venus.

"Crescent Beam!"

Venus' attack collided with youma closest to Yuuichirou sending it backwards and down the steps, knocking over a few youma behind him as well. Most youma continued their ascent however, "Get inside! You'll be safer there! I'll give the time to get there!" Venus called to Yuuichirou; he just nodded his head in response but did as he was told.

"Crescent Beam Shower!"

Venus sent multiple beams of energy at the oncoming youma, slowing their progress again, but they still continued coming. One youma finally got close enough to her and tried to punch her in the face, but Minako was too quick for him and dodged. She followed up by performing an upper cut to the youma's jaw with her palm, snapping the youma's head back making sickening creaking sound and like previous youma he was sent backwards. Minako smiled inwardly, 'That one has to be dead.' She had hit some of the youma multiple times with her attacks, but they just kept getting back up. The next thing Venus knew she was hit on the side of her face knocking her to the ground, the youma must have realized a frontal assault was not going to work and now they were coming from all sides. Venus tried to get up, but a youma stood over her. The youma looked like a mutated alligator that could stand up like a human. It extended his 'hand' and began forming energy there and just as he brought his 'hand' back…

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Sailor Moon's attack hit the youma and he was instantly turned into dust. Sailor Moon ran over to Venus and gave her a hand to help her off the ground, "Are you ok?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Yeah, but here come more youma." Venus said as she entered her fighting stance again.

"We can't hold them off forever; I really hope the other Senshi get here soon, we could use their help." Moon said, 'Why hasn't Rei come back yet? She should have been the closest to the shrine, where are you?'

* * *

"I have to say you did surprise me with that kick." Kyoji said and snapped his neck to the left. "But…that won't happen again."

"Shut up! You do more talking than fighting; you will not survive this fight. I won't let you survive this, you've already hurt my friends and I won't let you hurt anyone else! So just shut your mouth and fight!" Mars yelled.

"My, My...you are eager aren't you, but I must confess I am eager too so let's get on with it." Kyoji said and pointed his finger at Mars.

"Darkness Beam!"

A black energy beam shot out of his finger at Mars. She saw it coming however and darted to her right and allowed the energy beam to hit ground, leaving a hole in its wake. The youma followed up with the same attack, forcing Mars to leap backwards to avoid the blast. Again once she landed another beam came at her, 'He's trying to keep his distance from me.' Mars thought as she jumped to her left. 'I won't let him decide how this battle is fought.' Mars thought and another energy beam came at her. Mars leapt into the air and landed gracefully on top of a nearby streetlight; the youma reacted by sending another black energy beam at Mars. Mars anticipated it, but waited until the beam was about to strike her before jumping high into the air; the black energy collided with the streetlight destroying it. While in the air Mars spun 360 degrees so she could land behind the youma. Once she land she ran up behind him and put him in a choke-hold, Mars' right arm under his chin and her left arm was holding the youma's left arm to his back.

"Not so good in close combat, are you?" Mars said smugly.

"You think so." Kyoji remarked casually.

The sorcerer reached up with his right hand a grabbed Mars' right forearm. Under his breath he muttered, "Black Lightning." He squeezed her arm tighter then and a black light came from his hand, Mars let go the youma and took two steps backwards. The black light enveloped her entire body; Mars felt stinging sensations all over her that were becoming increasingly more painful.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Mars yelled as electricity coursed through her. Mars fell to her knees, still screaming, hunched over and pounded her fist into the pavement. Slowly the black light that had surrounded her faded and she stopped hitting the ground, but she stayed in that position breathing heavily and sweating.

The sorcerer leaned down to Mars' ear, "Did you like that? It's actually a different version of the attack I used on Neptune. This one is not as deadly, but still quiet painfully, ssssshocking wouldn't you say?" the youma said and stood up laughing.

"Kuso." Mars cursed as she forced herself to breathe normally, 'My body is all numb.' Mars slowly gazed down at her right arm and cursed again when she saw rather nasty looking burn on her arm, "That bastard."

"What was that? I can't hear you if you mumble." Kyoji said and crouched down in front of Sailor Mars again. The sorcerer forcefully grabbed Mars' throat and pulled her up into a standing position. Kyoji tightened his grip on her throat and lifted her off the ground. Mars struggled to breathe as he pulled closer to his face, "Now, what was it you were saying before?"

Mars glared angrily at the youma, 'You are going to burn for this.' Mars thought and just as she finished her thought she finally began getting feeling back in her arms. After her arms regained feeling the rest of her body soon followed, 'I can move again' Mars thought thankfully.

"Well Sailor Bitch!" Kyoji yelled in Mars' face as he shook her.

"Kutabare!" Mars yelled and kicked the youma in the crotch forcing him to let her go and drop to his knees.

Mars landed unsteadily on her feet, taking deep breaths to recover her lost oxygen. Mars looked over and saw the youma was still reeling from her kick and decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

"Fire Soul!"

Mars' fire ball flew on an unstoppable path towards the youma. The sorcerer looked up just in time to see fire ball, without enough time to create a shield he raised his arms to offer himself some sort of protection from the fire. Just as soon as he raised his arms the fire collided with him propelling him backwards through a wooden fence and burning everything in its path.

'That should be enough.' Mars thought hopefully. Mars stood and watched the fire burn out and when the smoke cleared she saw the youma on the ground with burnt arm over his face. Mars shifted out of her battle stance and dropped her arms to her side, when out of the corner of her eye she spotted something shiny on the ground.

"My communicator." Mars said when she saw the circular object on the pavement. Mars began walking slowly towards it; her feet still weren't steady enough for her to move at a faster pace. Mars prepared to lean down and pick the device up when she felt something pierce her left side and fell to her knees.

"AAARRGGG!" Mars screamed. Her right hand went to where she felt the stabbing sensation and pulled out a golden throwing knife. Once she removed the knife blood began to steadily flow from the wound, soaking the side of her fuku with the red substance. Mars threw the knife to the ground and quickly covered the wound with her left hand to slow the blood flow. Mars got up, still holding her side, and turned around, knowing exactly where the projectile had come from.

Once Mars turned around she saw the sorcerer lowering his hand, "You didn't…think…you could…kill me…that easily…did you?" the sorcerer asked between labored breaths.

* * *

"Do you think we can lure them away from the jinja? I could use my Moon Kaleidoscope more effectively if I didn't have to worry about damaging anything" Moon asked.

Venus shook her head, "No, they seem hell bent on reaching the shrine. If we were move from our positions I think they ignore us and continue attacking the shrine." 'Why are they so set on destroying the jinja? Do they know who Rei is?' Minako thought.

"Minako, behind you!" Sailor Moon yelled. Venus turned around saw a large humanoid snake youma darting towards her with its sharp claws extended and aiming for her neck.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Electrically charged leaves pierced the youma turning him into dust, "Jeez Minako, where's your mind letting a youma sneak up on you like that?" Jupiter said running up to her friends.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

A wave of water struck a youma that was approaching Jupiter. Venus gave Jupiter a look, "You were saying?"

"Heh…heh…heh. Thanks for the help Mercury." Jupiter said avoiding Venus' question, Mercury smiled and opened her mouth to say something.

"Umm, guys the next wave of youma is coming this way." Moon interrupted.

"Right!" the girls responded in unison.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

All of the attacks hit the first line of youma that were charging forward and destroyed them. The second line continued their blind charge towards the Sailor Senshi and the shrine, crushing the bones the fallen youma beneath their feet. One youma broke free of the group and grabbed Sailor Jupiter's fuku.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

Venus used her attack like a wipe and hit the youma that had a hold of Jupiter, "Thanks" Jupiter mouthed

"How many of these things are there? They just seem to keep coming." Jupiter said punching the youma that had grabbed her.

Mercury lower her visor looked over the area, "There appears to be close to fifteen youma that are still alive."

"Why haven't you just used your Moon Kaleidoscope? At full power it should be able to take all of them out." Jupiter asked as she punched another youma.

"I can't. If I were to use it at full power even though it would destroy most the youma, it would also do serious damage to the jinja." Moon answered.

"We need to divide their force. Mercury, Jupiter move to the left and protect that side; Moon and I will remain here and protect this area." Venus commanded.

"What if some get past us?" Mercury asked.

"They won't, now just do it!" Venus said then Mercury and Jupiter nodded and did what Venus said and ran over to the left, drawing some of the youma in their direction, the majority of the youma continued heading towards Moon and Venus however.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Shining Aqua Illusion!"

Both attacks hit the first youma, dusting him, but the second and third youma dodged and spilt off into different directions, each targeting one of the senshi. A lizard type youma reached Makoto first and she began exchanging punches with the youma. The other youma that looked like a mutated humanoid dog attacked Mercury. He swiped his claws at her stomach, but Mercury sucked her stomach in and barely avoided being cut open. Mercury continued swiftly dodging the youma's attempted strikes while looking for an opening to use one of her attacks; Mercury didn't want to engage the youma like this because she knew that she's not the best fighter in hand to hand combat.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

"Crescent Beam!"

Both attacks hit their targets, but the youma that followed the two continued charging forward. Two youma headed to Venus, one opened its mouth and shot a yellow energy ball at her while the other continued its charge towards her. Venus jumped into the air easily avoiding the energy ball, but when she landed she saw the two youma were now at her right and left, 'They used the energy attack to surround me.' Venus thought. As Venus faced down the two youma Sailor Moon continued using her tiara to keep the enemies at bay. The numbers would be overwhelming if she wasn't so determined, 'I won't let them reach the jinja.' Moon said to herself.

"So it's two on one, is it?" Venus said as she looked at both of the youma; they merely growled in response. * _sigh_ * "I can see you two aren't the talkative types, but you must have some brains to try and double-team me, but it won't work!"

"Crescent Beam!"

Venus shot a yellow energy beam from her right  _and_  left hand; she hit the youma to the left, but the youma to the right was able to dodge the attack and shot off another one of his energy attacks, which was the same one he used minutes earlier. Venus easily dodged it and ran at him, hoping to catch him off guard. As soon as Venus reached him she punched him on the side of his face, knocking him off balance and performed a leg swipe, taking his legs out from underneath him. Venus stood over him and pointed her right hand at him and waved bye to him with her left. As Venus prepared to fire her attack the second youma ran at her and drove his shoulder into her, knocking her away from the other youma and onto the ground.

Venus got up and dusted herself off, "I almost forgot about you." Venus stated to the second youma.

Moon jumped away from some of the youma to give herself room. 'I have to diminish their numbers, even if it does do damage to the jinja.' Moon thought and pulled out her Moon Kaleidoscope.

"Moon Gorg…"

Moon's attack phrase was cut short by punch to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to drop the Moon Kaleidoscope. Moon fell to the ground holding her stomach and trying to regain her breath. Soon she noticed someone was blocking the sun by standing over her, slowly she looked up and her suspicions were confirmed; a large grey youma with one hand shaped like a bear's claw and the other had a sword in place of were the hand should have been. Sailor Moon reached for her Moon Kaleidoscope, but the youma kicked it away before she could grab it. The youma then raised his sword hand and pointed it at Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Moon!" Mercury yelled when she saw the trouble Moon was in. Seeing and opening the youma she was fighting took advantage of Mercury's loss of concentration and swiped at her arm cutting it with its razor sharp nails; leaving four long gashes on her arm.

"AAAHH" Mercury yelled and grabbed her arm to stop the bleeding.

"Mercury!" Jupiter said after she heard her friend scream. Jupiter took a sideways glance at the girl and saw her holding her bleeding arm, "Damn it, I've had enough of this!" Jupiter yelled.

Jupiter punched the youma she was fighting in the stomach, cause him to lean over. She followed up with an elbow to the back of his head, causing him to slam into the ground.

"Supreme Thunder!"

Jupiter's attack hit the youma in its back, killing him after a few painful seconds. Once she knew the youma was dead she ran over to Mercury. As Jupiter reached her she saw the youma was preparing to strike her again.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Electrified leaves flew at the unsuspecting youma's back. When the attack hit the youma and it howled in pain as he fell to the ground; he was silenced when death took him. Jupiter continued to Mercury and kneeled down to look at her arm, "Are you ok?" Jupiter asked uneasily.

"I'm fine but Usagi, she's in trouble!" Mercury said worriedly.

Jupiter turned and saw that Sailor Moon was in serious trouble, "Stay save, ok." Jupiter said and ran off to Sailor Moon. As she ran to Sailor Moon she noticed that Venus was in a tough battle as well, but Usagi was in more immediate danger so she decided to make her way around where Venus was fighting and hoped she could handle herself until she could get back. Jupiter was only about five steps away from Usagi when a youma jumped into her way.

"You youma are really becoming annoying!" Jupiter yelled and threw a punch at the youma's chest, however the youma side-stepped the punch and grabbed her arm.

"You Senshi are the real nuisances." the youma whispered into Jupiter's ear. The youma then pulled her arm and drove his knee into her stomach causing her to fall to her knees clutching her stomach with her right arm, "Usagi." Jupiter said quietly and as she extended her other arm toward her friend as she watched the youma's blade head for the blond haired girl.

"Sailor Moon!"

* * *

Mars eyed the youma, 'I guess that last attack didn't kill him, but at least it looks like it took a lot of him. He's not in much of a condition to fight.' Mars winced and look down at her side, 'Not that I'm in much better condition though.' Mars thought after she saw all the blood that covered her side. 'I can't think about my injuries." Mars thought, 'I need to block out the pain for the time being.' Mars told herself. Mars slowly began walking up to the youma, still holding her side the whole time, but she refused to let the sorcerer see the pain on her face, instead she glared at him with utter hatred in her eyes.

"Let's finish this!" Kyoji said angrily.

"Agreed." Mars responded simply. She didn't want to waste anymore energy than she need to; she also removed her hand that was covering her wound and entered her battle stance. Rei knew that she would lose more blood without applying pressure to her wound, but she also knew that she wouldn't be able to fight this guy one handed. In her present condition she knew that she may still pass out from the loss of blood, but she reasoned with herself, 'If I can finish this quickly enough, hopefully the blood loss won't be a factor.'

Kyoji watched Mars before taking a few steps forward himself, 'I will not lose here. I haven't come this far to be killed by one lowly senshi!' The sorcerer saw Mars' fuku was soaked through with blood and that as she moved that she left a trail of blood, a good sign that she was losing a lot blood, 'Her wounded side should be enough to give me the advantage this time around. This will be quick.' Kyoji thought and took his fighting stance, knowing this would be the end of one of the two fighters, a duel to the death.

Mars remained like a statue watching the sorcerer, all of her senses were still sharp, but she didn't move because she wanted the sorcerer to make the first move. The pair stared each other down for a few minutes, but soon the sorcerer realized he would have to be the one to start this time and even though the longer this fight took the more it benefited him, he also had a girl in front of him that he promised to kill and he wouldn't waste this opportunity. If worse came to worse he had knowledge of her home being attacked, that would likely freeze her in her tracks.

"Time to die!" the sorcerer shouted and charged Mars.

Kyoji swung his right hand at Mars' wounded side, but Mars blocked his attempt with her left arm. Mars countered by throwing a punch at the side of the youma's face, but the youma anticipated it and dodged to her right and kicked her in the back before she could move out of the way. The kick sent Mars forward and towards the ground, but she stuck her right arm out in front of herself which prevented her from hitting the ground head-first. Mars quickly performed a leg-sweep, to bring the youma to the ground as well. Mars pushed herself off the ground and turned to the grounded youma.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The youma's eyes widened when he saw the fire arrow approaching him, 'It's not over yet.' Kyoji said to himself. As quickly as he could the youma rolled to right to avoid the projectile, but as quick as he moved the scorching fire still grazed his back as he rolled away. The fire burned through his leather clothing, which offered little protection, as well as burning away numerous layers of flesh on his back, causing him to howl in pain.

Mars watched the youma, but cursed inwardly when her attack didn't finish the youma off. Mars went down to one knee as she continued watching the youma roll around in pain, 'This isn't good; I'm starting to get a little light headed.' Mars thought and putting her hand over the stab wound on her side again. 'I need to end this soon, but I need to make sure he can't dodge my next attack.' Mars thought and just as soon as she finished that thought an idea struck her. 'I just need to draw him closer to me.'

Just then the sorcerer slowly rose off the ground and lightly touched his charred back, but he pulled his hand away quickly and turned to face Sailor Mars, "You are going to pay for that!" he snarled and started walking towards Mars.

Mars smiled inwardly since he was playing right into her hands, 'Just a little further…' she thought. Mars reached into her fuku and pulled out a small piece of paper.

"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin…" Mars started chanting

"What the hell are you mumbling over there!" Kyoji yelled angrily and walked faster over the kneeling senshi.

"Retsu, sai, zen. Akuryou taisan!" Mars finished her chant and threw her ofuda at the youma. The ofuda connected with his thigh and stuck there. The sorcerer attempted to continue moving, but he found that his body was not reacting to what his mind was telling it to; instead he remained rooted in the same spot and position he was in when the ofuda attached its self to him.

"What the hell have you done!" Kyoji yelled.

Mars stood up, still holding her side, and took a few steps towards the youma, "There's no use trying to move. I've put an anti-evil scroll on you and now this is your end." Mars stated calmly. Mars lifted her arms and prepared to fire an arrow from an invisible bow.

"Mars Flame…"

Mars started but stopped when she heard the youma laughing, "What's so funny?" Mars asked.

"Go ahead, kill me! Death is evitable; maybe I'll meet your two blond friends wherever I go." Kyoji said and started laughing again. Mars dropped her arms to her sides and walked up to the youma and grabbed him by his leather shoulder guards.

"What the hell are you talking about!" Mars demanded.

"You obviously don't listen very well. I watched that shrine of yours for a long time, I saw an old man there, I saw scruffy looking younger man there, I saw you speaking with a young blond haired girl, and I saw another young blond girl with a weird hair style arrive just before you left." Mars let go of the sorcerer's clothing and looked at him with a shocked look on her face. "You didn't really think I was alone this time, did you? You abandoned your home and I merely took advantage of it. As we speak the shrine should going up in flames along with those four pathetic humans!" Kyoji said laughing hysterically.

Mars backed away, 'No, no, no…that can't be true; in order for that to be true he would have to know who I am.' Mars thought, but she remember when she encountered him he  _did_  know she was Sailor Mars. 'I need to get back home' Mars thought but heard the youma continuing laughter, "But first…"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Mars' fire arrow hit the youma and erupted in a flurry fire that turned the youma to ash. Mars walked back a little ways and picked up her communicator before turning back around and undid her transformation and heading back to the shrine, leaving a trail of blood along the way.

* * *

With her Moon Kaleidoscope out of reach, Sailor Moon frantically searched the ground something to block the oncoming sword, but she found nothing.

"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter yelled causing Moon stop her searching and look up and see blade coming down at her. The whole scene felt like it was in slow motion; Sailor Moon shut her eyes as the blade descended. Suddenly Moon felt a strong wind gust and hear the clang of metal, neither were what she expected. Moon slowly opened her eyes and saw a tall woman with short blond hair, wearing a dark blue sailor fuku.

"Sailor Uranus!" Moon exclaimed once she realized who had just saved her. Uranus stood in front of Sailor Moon with her talisman in her hand holding off the youma's blade.

"Sorry I'm late Princess." Uranus said without turning her head away from the youma. She pushed her talisman harder against the youma's sword, cracking it slightly, and then with a flick of her wrist she broke the sword in two. The youma stood shocked at what just happened, "You can't beat me with that piece of scrap metal you call a sword!" Uranus said and kicked the youma in his stomach, driving him backwards.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

The energy blades from Uranus' Space Sword sliced through the prone youma, killing him quickly. With the youma disposed of Uranus offered Sailor Moon her hand and helped her back to her feet. "Arigato." Moon said and turned to pick up her Moon Kaleidoscope. Then she noticed that her friends are all still in trouble, "Help Jupiter, while I help Venus." Moon ordered and Uranus turned her attention to Jupiter.

"World Shaking!"

Uranus' attack hit the youma standing over Jupiter sending him forward and towards Jupiter and as he headed towards her, Jupiter punched him in the face, "That's for that knee to my stomach. And this…"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Her attack was right on and the electrified leaves ended the youma's life, "This is for preventing me from aiding the Princess." Jupiter turned to Uranus and gave her, her thanks for the help.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Moon's attack sailed toward the two youma that were engaged with Venus. The two youma stop what they're doing and turn to see a bright pink energy coming towards them, but it's too late to do anything about it and they become engulfed by the energy and are vaporized. "Are you ok, Minako?" Moon asked.

"Yeah, was that all of them?" Venus questioned.

"My computer doesn't pick anymore evil energy, so yeah that was the last of them." Mercury says as she walked up to the two blondes, holding her arm.

"What happened to your arm Ami!" Usagi asks with concern in her voice.

"It's nothing really, just a few scratches from a youma. Are you guys ok?" Mercury asked and they both shake their heads.

"Good, we should undo our transforms before Yuuichirou or Grandpa Hino come out and ask questions." Mercury said.

"She's right, it's bad enough we'll have to explain why we're hurt" Jupiter said as she and Uranus walked up to the group. All them shook their heads and de-transformed.

"I'll go get some bandages for you, Ami." Minako turned and went into the shrine.

Haruka looked around and for the first time realized that a member of the group was missing, not just any member, and the one who actually lived at the shrine. "Where's Rei?" she asked to anyone in the group that would know.

"I don't know. When I got here Minako was already here and she told me that Rei had gone out for walk before the meeting." Usagi spoke up.

"What could be so important about a walk that she couldn't answer your distress call?" Haruka asked.

"I'm sure she had her reasons, we don't know what happened yet." Minako said when heard Haruka's raised voice. "Here." Minako said as she held out the bandages she'd brought back.

"I just hope she's ok. I know she would have answered me if she could have." Usagi said worried about what may have happened to her friend.

* * *

'Just a little further, I have to make sure everyone is alright. Kami-sama let everyone be safe, Grandpa…Usagi.' Rei thought as she rounded that last corner that would lead her to the jinja. The adrenalin rush she had to get this far had long since worn off and as she gripping her side tightly, she silently hoped that her friends had disposed of the youma, but if need be she would fight to defend those that she loved. Rei finally reached the torri that signified the entrance to the shrine, she looked up to see the place was quiet and looked like it was still intact, but she was having trouble seeing so she couldn't be sure. Rei began her ascent of the stairs of the shrine, 'did we always have this many steps?' Rei ideally thought before stumbling a little and almost falling, but she was able to right herself in time.

"Rei!"

Rei looked up to see who had called her name and saw all of her friends running up to her. She looked over all of her friends and smiled, "Thank God everyone's ok." Rei said before collapsing. Luckily Haruka was quick enough to catch her before she could hit the ground. Once Haruka touched her she felt wetness on her left side, so she removed her hand and saw that it was covered in blood causing her eyes to widen, as well as everyone else's.

"God Rei, you're bleeding!" Usagi cried.

Rei looked up at her and merely nodded her head confirming what all them already knew, "I'm so…tired." Rei said absently before closing her eyes. Distantly she could hear her friends call her name, but she was too tired to respond and let herself fall in to darkness.

End Ch.9

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A ton of fighting in this chapter. I greatly enjoyed writing the fights here, they came together exactly as I wanted them to.


	10. A Promise and Plans

Chapter 10 – A Promise and Plans

* * *

Amethyst eyes fluttered open lazily and began examining their surroundings, everything was unfamiliar; an unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar dripping sound, and an unfamiliar bed. Suddenly the raven haired girl's eyes shot open fully, 'Where am I?' Rei asked herself. She sat up quickly and felt a sharp pain in her side. She attempted to move her right arm, but was met with a painful stinging sensation. Rei turned her head to see the cause and saw her right hand had an iv-drip attached to it, and that her forearm was bandaged up as well, 'I'm in a hospital' she thought. Rei turned her attention back to her side. She pulled down blanket that was still covering her a little and pulled off her light green hospital gown, with her left hand. Rei saw that her side was heavily bandaged, 'I must have passed out.' Rei thought and heard the door to her room open; she turned her head to see who was entering.

"S-Sagi?" Rei questioned in hoarse voice. 'My throat's so dry.'

"Oh Rei, you're awake. I…everyone was so worried when you passed out. Do you want me go get the others?" Usagi asked as she approached the raven haired girl.

Rei shook her head, "Water."

"Sure, just give me second." Usagi said and ran into the personal bathroom in the room. After a few seconds Rei heard running water, followed soon by something plastic hitting the ground and Usagi muttering something that Rei couldn't really hear, and then finally she heard the sound of running water again. Rei couldn't help but smile, since she had a good guess as to what happened in the bathroom. A few moments later Usagi emerged from the bathroom with full cup of water, "Sorry, I kinda dropped the first one." Usagi said offering her cup and taking a seat on a chair that was positioned next to the bed.

"It's okay." Rei said taking the offered cup and thirstily drank half the cup of water. "Thanks." Rei said and leaned over to place the cup on a table near the bed.

"Umm…Rei, aren't you…umm…a little cold?" Usagi asked, her face a light shade of pink.

Rei gave Usagi a curious look and then looked do at herself and her eyes widened slightly, 'Oh, I forgot to cover myself up.' Rei sat in the bed wearing only a bra and panties, exposing most of herself to Usagi, 'Great, now she's embarrassed to look at me; I didn't want that.' Grabbing her hospital gown she covered herself up quickly, "Sorry, I was checking my side when you walked in. I guess I forgot to cover up again." Rei said as she blushed a little as well.

"Forget about that, how are you feeling?" Usagi said changing the subject to something she was more comfortable talking about.

"I'm fine." Rei said ignoring the dull pain on her left side. The Moon Princess gave her a disbelieving look, "Really, who ever patched me up did a great job. I'll be good as new in a day or two, tops."

Usagi looked down at her lap, "You scared me to death today. I thought I may have…lost you." she said beginning to cry.

"Hey, what are you crying for Odango Atama? I'm fine. You didn't think something as small as this would do me in, did you?" Rei asked smugly.

"Don't joke about this Rei!" Usagi said as she looked up at Rei with tears streaming down her cheeks. Rei looked shocked for a few moments before her features softened as she realized that her princess was honestly worried about her well being. "I'm sick of seeing you hurt, you're my best friend. I don't want to see you hurt anymore." She honestly said.

Rei's heart ached at her statement, 'Best friend…who the hell am I kidding, I am and will  **always**  be just a friend.' Rei pushed the thought aside however, because the other girl need confirmation that she would always be there. Usagi was looking at her lap again and crying silently, "Usagi" getting no response she spoke again, "Usa, look at me." She slowly raised her head; her eyes were red and puffy from crying, "Usagi, I made a promise to you. A promise that I would never leave you, I  _will_  keep that promise to you. Have I ever broken a promise I've made to you?"

Usagi slowly shook her head, "No" She said softly through her tears.

"That's right, and I have no intention of starting now." Rei said and reached over, ignoring the sharp pain in her side caused by the movement, and used her thumbs to wipe away the tears that were still escaping Usagi's crystal blue eyes. "Now princess, no more tears, ok?" Rei said and laid back down on to the hospital bed. Usagi nodded and wiped her eyes again, before hearing the door to the room open again.

"Hey Usagi, how's…oh, Rei you're awake!" Ami said as she walked in to the hospital room.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I worried you." Rei said looking at Ami.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Rei." Ami said and smiled down at the raven haired girl. "I thought you were going to tell us if she woke up, Usagi." Ami said turning to her friend in the chair. Usagi looked up at Ami and tried to say something, but nothing came out. It was at that time that Ami realized that the blonde had been crying. Knowing Usagi for as long as she did, it was easy for her tell when girl had been crying, she did it often enough. Ami opened her mouth say something, but before she could she was cut off.

"She didn't tell you yet because I stopped her, besides I only came to a little while ago." Rei said before Ami could question Usagi.

Ami looked at Rei for a second and then back at Usagi, she got the impression that was more to it than that, but decided against pressing the issue. "Oh alright, if you say so Rei."

Rei let out a sigh of relief that Ami would leave it at that; it was then that Rei noticed Ami's arm was bandaged, "What happened to your arm?"

"This is just something a youma gave me to remember him by." Ami said and then a thought struck her, 'Rei probably didn't know her home was attacked.' "Rei, youma attacked the shrine, they were attacking your home!"

Rei's expression remained calm, almost solemn, "I was told as much." Rei stated. Both Usagi and Ami looked confused, so she decided to continue, "Shortly after I left the shrine I was confronted by the sorcerer from the other night."

"So he did this to you?" Usagi asked quietly.

"Yeah, but I've already taken care of him. It was just when I was about to finish him that he told me about what was happening at the jinja." Rei said and paused for a couple seconds, "I'm sorry I wasn't there…I should have been there." Rei directed towards Usagi.

"You were in a tough situation, and I know if you could have, you would have been there." Usagi said assuredly.

"But still…" Rei began.

"Don't beat yourself up Rei. You're the only one laying in a hospital bed; we should be apologizing to you for not being there for you." Ami added.

"Speaking of which, how did I end up here? The last thing I remember was everyone running towards me and then everything went black." Rei said.

"Well, after you passed out…" Usagi began.

* * *

Flashback

"She isn't…" Usagi began and opened her mouth to finish, but nothing came out. Tears filled her eyes as she dropped to her knees in front of Haruka and a limp Rei.

"No she's just unconscious, but she has lost a lot of blood. We need to get her to a hospital immediately." Ami said and returned her mini super computer to her sub-space pocket.

"Right." Haruka said and easily picked the girl up before racing to her car.

"I'll come with; I can monitor her until you drive to the hospital." Ami said headed after Haruka.

"Shouldn't you tend to yourself first?" Makoto asked before she was too far away to hear.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about Rei; you don't realize how critical she is right now. She needs medical attention that only a hospital can give her." Ami said and ran to catch up to the speedier Senshi of wind.

"I'm coming too!" Usagi yelled to her two friends. "Minako-chan, Mako-chan, I want both of you to tell Grandpa and Yuuichirou that it's safe to come out now and if they asked where Rei is tell them she was hurt by one of the youma and we are taking her to the hospital. Don't let them know how bad she is, just say that she's going to be alright." Usagi said when she turned around to face her other two friends, they nodded their heads at her command.

"Hurry up, Usagi! We need to get going!" Ami called from Haruka's sports car and Usagi ran to the vehicle.

End Flashback

* * *

"I see…I'm sorry to have worried everyone like that." Rei said quietly.

"It's ok Rei; you don't need to apologize for something that wasn't your fault. Besides, it couldn't be helped; you lost a lot of blood. Frankly I'm surprised you didn't pass out sooner." Ami said.

"I was just worried about getting home and making sure everyone was alright." Rei said.

"Why weren't you home anyway?" Ami inquired.

Rei was a little taken aback by Ami's question but, 'I guess it's only natural when Ami doesn't know the answer to a question she asks more questions. What am I supposed to say though?' Rei thought, but before she had a chance to say anything Usagi surprised her by speaking up.

"I told you already Ami, Rei went for a walk before the meeting. I'm sure that's when you ran into that youma, right Rei?" Usagi said turning away from Ami and back to Rei.

Rei decided her best course of action would be to agree with Usagi, 'It was mostly true anyway' She reasoned with herself. "Umm...yeah that about sums it up." Rei said as convincingly as possible.

"But that doesn't make any sense." Ami said and received a pair of confused looks from her companions so she continued, "You weren't transformed during your walk, were you Rei?" The raven haired girl shook her head no. "That's just it then, how did that youma know to attack you and your home for that matter? You weren't Sailor Mars when he attacked you, were you?"

Rei thought back the start of the fight…

~~

"This is between you and me, now hurry up and transform already. I do not wish to kill you as a pathetic human; I could have done that since you left that shrine of yours. You were probably too caught up in crying over some stupid human problem to notice me, am I right?"

~~

"I wasn't transformed, he actually told me to transform because he didn't want to fight me without my senshi powers. That means…" Rei trailed off.

"They know who you are!" Usagi finished Rei's thought.

"Precisely, but the real question is how they know?" Ami said and began thinking.

Before anything more could be said the door to the room opened and in walked doctor Mizuno, "Oh hi girls, don't mind me I'm coming by to check on…oh Rei your awake." Mizuno-san said clearly surprised that her patient was awake already.

"I'm a quick healer, I guess." Rei said sheepishly.

"So it seems, but even if that's the case I think I would like for you to get some rest and that means no more visitors for tonight." Mizuno-san said and looked to her daughter and Usagi, silently telling them it was time for them to leave.

"It's really alright, I'm not very tired." Rei said hoping she wouldn't have to stay in the hospital room all alone.

"I'll admit I am surprised to see you awake already, I hadn't expected you to wake up for at least another couple of hours, but I still must insist that you rest. I've seen that you heal astonishingly quickly, but that is no excuse to disobey a doctor's order." Mizuno-san said, restating her point.

Before Rei could put up anymore protests Ami spoke up, "We understand mom, Usagi and I will leave so she can get some sleep. Can we at least have a few minutes to say goodnight before we leave?" Ami asked, while also conceding for Rei because she knew that the other girl was not going to win this fight.

"That's fine, but don't be too long." Mizuno-san said and left the room to give the three friends some privacy.

"This is why I hate hospitals; they take away your free will!" Rei fumed once Ami's mother was out of earshot.

"My mom's only doing what she feels is best for you, resting will help you heal faster. And while you're here the rest of us can figure out how the enemy knows your identity." Ami said.

"I'm sure we'll figure out how they found out who you are Rei." Usagi said optimistically.

"I'm sure you will too." Rei said less optimistically than Usagi because she had no clue how they could have find out, she wasn't careless or anything.

"We had better go before my mom kicks us out." Ami interrupted.

"I think someone should stay at the hospital in case an enemy attacks. If they really do know who Rei is she would make for an easy target for them." Usagi said concernedly.

"That's a good idea. Maybe we ask Haruka, I'm sure she intends to stay here anyway since Michiru is on the second floor. We could ask her to keep an eye out for anything, just in case." Ami said.

"That's not necessary; I can defend myself just fine. Besides, I don't intend to stay here very long; so I don't need a babysitter." Rei said defiantly.

"Quit being so stubborn, Rei! You may think you can do anything, but you can't; you're not in any condition to defend yourself. You need time to heal and that won't happen if you're fighting!" Usagi said emotionally.

Both Rei and Ami were shocked by Usagi's forthrightness. Usagi had a habit of wearing her emotions on her sleeve and this was one of those occasions. For the second time since Usagi entered the hospital room Rei felt that Usagi was sincerely worried about her and again she would do her best to dispel her of those worries. "Alright, do whatever you feel you have to do." Rei conceded, much to the shock of Ami and the relief of Usagi.

'That seemed too easy. Rei doesn't usually back down that easily; so why did she this time? Maybe because Usagi was being so sincere?" Ami thought.

"It's settled then, Haruka will keep an eye over you and Michiru. We'll see you tomorrow, ok?" Usagi said getting up from her chair and turned to Ami. "Come on Ami." Usagi said but saw her friend was staring off into space, so she waved her hand in front of her face, "Wake up Ami, let's go."

"Oh…sorry I was just thinking. Good-night Rei, we'll see you after school tomorrow." Ami said.

"Yeah, see you guys later." Rei said quietly and watched her friends exit the room.

* * *

Inside a room devoid of light and empty save for a regal like chair, sat a woman cloaked in black. The only sound in the larger room was the echoing sound of her long finger nail rhythmically tapping the arm of her chair, patience was never a virtue she possessed. After a few more minutes pasted, three loud thuds echoed through out the room and alerting it's occupant that someone desired entry.

"Enter!" called the woman in black. It was necessary to yell so she could be heard on the other side of the thick doors.

Slowly the large double doors creaked open, allowing the seated woman a view of the two newcomers. A smirk crept across her face, though her new guests couldn't see it from their point of view.

"Thank you for leading him in, but you may leave Ryuji." the woman addressed the fearsome looking guard. The dragonish youma remained rooted in his spot, however. Ryuji was accompanied by a youma dressed similar to a ninja, he was completely covered in black except for a slit in the cloth revealing his eyes. The seated woman waited a few seconds for Ryuji to comply with her command, but when she noticed he had made no movement to leave the room it began shaking and she stood up from her chair and spoke again but louder this time, "Leave RYUJI!"

The Naginata wielding youma bowed and proceeded to leave the room, closing the doors behind him. Once Ryuji left the room the shaking quelled and the black clad woman sat down again, taking a deep breath, "Well, what do you have to report Kenjiro?" she addressed the ninja like youma.

"Kyoji has failed. He was killed by Sailor Mars. The operation to attack the Hikawa Jinja has also failed. The other Sailor Senshi defeated our army of youma attacking the shrine." Kenjiro reported.

"Humph…you don't say." the woman said calmly and relaxed back into the chair.

The youma's eyes narrowed, "You're awfully calm about it." Kenjiro stated.

"Am I?" the figure questioned cocking her head to the left slight.

"Yes, and if I didn't know any better I would say that you expected as much would happen." Kenjiro said studying the woman in black.

"And what of Mars? She could not have walk away from such a fight uninjured." She said ignoring Kenjiro's last comment.

"She suffered a deep stab wound on her left side and lost a lot of blood because of it. She also sustained various other minor injuries. I trailed her back the shrine we were attacking, the fool left a trail of blood the whole way. Once she returned home, she passed-out and her friends brought her to Minato General Hospital. After that I returned, as you requested." Kenjiro stated.

The woman in black closed her eyes began thinking, but quickly she realized that she was still not alone. She opened her eyes to look at Kenjiro, "Is there something more you would like to tell me?"

"Yes. Do you wish for me to kill Mars? She is still alive, you know, and with her being injured, she would be easy prey." Kenjiro said.

"No." she responded simply.

"Why not? What do you have planned?" Kenjiro asked but was met with only silence. "Isn't our goal to kill all the Sailor Senshi? Why pass up such an opportunity?"

"There is more than one way to destroy the Sailor Senshi. Kyoji was disposable and I fully expected Mars to kill him, she saved me the trouble of dirtying my own hands. And as for what I have planned, you can just wait and see. When your services are needed again I will call for you. Now leave my sight, I wish to be alone." The woman in black said and again returned to her thoughts.

Kenjiro bowed and turned to leave, 'Are we all disposable to her?'

* * *

A tall woman with long black hair with a tint of green to it walked through Times Square, deep in thought. 'So this is New York City, I wish I had time to enjoy it, but that's not why I am here.' The professionally dressed woman thought and stopped at a corner, waiting for the traffic signal to change. The streets were crowded as usual on a mid-afternoon day. The woman silently hoped her task would be easier than it seemed, to find one man in a crowded city like New York City.

'First I must find him and then convince him to return to Tokyo, without letting him know it's me. I have to do this before it's too late, before the future we all know is lost.' The woman thought as the signal changed and so she began crossing the street.

End Ch. 10

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mostly deals with the aftermath of the fights last chapter, except the final scene which leads into the next chapter.


	11. Homeward Bound

Chapter 11 – Homeward Bound

* * *

Mamoru stepped out of his apartment and quickly locked the door behind him. He turned to his left and made his way to the elevator he had become familiar with over the last couple weeks. Once inside he selected the ground level on the elevator's control panel. * _Ding_ * After a few short minutes the elevator doors slid open revealing a surprisingly busy lobby, for such an early hour. Mamoru swiftly maneuvered his way past the crowds of people and made his way to the glass double-doors and the doorman.

"Have a splendid day sir." The doorman said as he opened the doors for the taller, black-haired man.

Mamoru said nothing and continued outside. ' _A splendid day_?' Mamoru thought as he turned down the street towards a small café he had been visiting frequently since he discovered it the previous week. 'I don't think I've had a splendid day since I've left Tokyo. No…not Tokyo, since I left her.' Mamoru thought and dropped his head, but continued toward his destination down the street. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice he was being trailed by a tall woman with long black hair with a green tint to it. 'This was my choice, though. I know I broke her heart with my words, but it was for the best.'

Before he knew it he was in front of his destination, 'Java Time'. Mamoru pushed open the door, causing a bell to ring and alerting any workers that they had a new costumer. The place was near empty, save for two people dressed in business attire chatting over two cups of coffee; they had obviously stopped in for a caffeine fix before heading off to work. 'I wish I had something like work to distract me.' Mamoru thought and turned away from the pair. Mamoru headed to his right and to a small booth, which had become his usually spot.

Shortly after sitting down a young girl, she couldn't be any older than nineteen, walked up to Mamoru's booth. She was dressed all in black and had black hair that ended just above her shoulders. In her left hand she was carrying a round tray and in her right she had a notepad.

"What will it be today, Mamoru?" the girl said cheerfully.

Mamoru looked up with a somber face, "The usual."

Instead of writing down the order, she set down the items she was carrying and sat down across from a man she had become quite familiar with in the last week. "Why so glum?" she questioned.

"Shouldn't you be working instead of sitting down here with me? Won't your boss be upset?" Mamoru said apprehensively.

"Nah, he's a good guy. It's not like it's overflowing with customers, ya know?" the girl said dismissively. "What's got you so down today? What's on your mind, I'll listen."

Mamoru smiled despite himself, 'She's got good heart, like…' "I'm just thinking about the past, the future, and a little bit about the present. About how much I miss Tokyo."

By saying 'Tokyo' she knew he was talking more about a person than a place. "If you still love her why don't you go back to her?" the girl asked. In the week Mamoru had been coming into her work all she had learned was that his name was Mamoru and that he had left someone very important behind in Tokyo. She didn't usually take an interest in her costumers, but not everyone who came into her workplace looked so depressed. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, she couldn't stand seeing someone so utterly miserable. So she set her mind on cheering this man up in any way she could, even if that was just listening to him.

"Because it's complicated…it's just complicated." Mamoru said once he found the right words.

"What do you mean ' _complicated_ '? Doesn't she love you?" the girl asked somewhat confused.

Mamoru smiled genuinely, "Oh yeah, by the grace of some benevolent being I have somehow been given her love." The dark haired girl looked even more confused by this statement, upon seeing the expression the girl was giving him he decided to precede his explanation further, though he didn't quite understand why. His smile dropped and he continued, "But that's not the problem. I think…no…I know she loves someone else too and I think she may love this person more than she loves me."

"Did you even ask her about it?" the girl questioned.

Mamoru shook his head, "No, but I didn't have to. I know, even if she doesn't herself." Mamoru said dejectedly.

The girl looked at him sadly, what could she say? She couldn't exactly tell the poor guy to get over it and cheer up. She reached across the table and took his hand in her own and squeezed it, "I'm sorry. I may not have any right to say this, but is it really better to have cut her out of your life entirely? Because, to me, that decision hasn't seemed to have made you happy."

Mamoru was openly shocked at the girl's words. 'I did do the right thing, right?' Mamoru questioned himself.

The girl stood up and released Mamoru's hand and walked towards the counter to fill his order. Shortly after she left she returned with the man's black coffee. Setting it down on the table she said, "Here ya go."

"Th-thank you." Mamoru got out causing the girl to smile. She turned to walk away but Mamoru spoke up, stopping her. "I'm sorry I never asked before, but what's your name?"

The girl smiled brightly and pointed to her name tag proudly, "Serena, I'm Serena Anderson."

"Serena's a nice name, it suits you I think." Mamoru said.

* * *

Setsuna watched from across the street as Mamoru enter the small coffee shop, 'The prince looks really depressed.' Setsuna thought as she continued staring at the building Mamoru had just entered. It had been surprisingly easy for her to track him down, it appeared that Mamoru had made no effort to hide his location or maybe fate was giving her a helping hand. Being the Senshi of Time, her fellow senshi have come to assume that she is privy to infinite knowledge, and even though she has access to more information, she still has limits to her knowledge. The Gate of Time is a tricky thing and threads of time can be woven so thick that some things are almost indiscernible, even for her. This time happened to one of those points, she couldn't be certain she was making the correct decision.

'I've come too far to turn back now anyway. Besides, this is my decision and I will accept any repercussions because of this. I'm not just a tool of fate, am I? No, I came to this decision after weighing all the consequences and concluded this to be the best course of action, it wasn't chosen for me.' Setsuna took one more look at the small café before turning around and heading in the direction she had followed Mamoru from. 'It's time I got started.'

* * *

'It's boring being stuck in here.' Rei thought as she looked up at the ceiling. She had been told to get some sleep by Ami's mother, but she wasn't sleepy. So here she was lying in a hospital bed staring up at the ceiling counting the number of tiles for what seemed like the hundredth time, there were 32 no matter how many times she counted. 'This is so frustrating, I have half a mind to just get the hell out of here…but I told Usagi I wouldn't.' Rei thought.

"Chikusho!" Rei cursed and turn over on to her side, only to curse again, "Chikusho! I forgot got about my side, this really sucks." Rei grabbed her side and turned on to her back again. 'I would rather be home and in my own room, I need to meditate. I'm sure Jii-chan will have a couple things to say to me'

Rei sighed and continued her inspection of the ceiling. 'Morning can't come soon enough. Maybe I'll be allowed to go home tomorrow.' Rei thought optimistically. Her logical side told her that that was nearly impossible, but that didn't stop her from hoping. Rei began looking around the room to see if anything could amuse her for a little while, at least until she really did get tired, when she heard the door to her room creak open. Rei half expected it to be another doctor or nurse coming in to check up on her, 'Don't doctors usually knock before entering, though?' Rei thought and then another thought crossed her mind, 'Could it be youma coming to attack? I couldn't sense any evil aura, but I can't be sure.'

Rei readied herself in case she needed to defend herself. The tall figure walked into the room and approached Rei, "Who are you?" Rei demanded.

"Relax Rei, it's only me." Haruka said turning on a small light near the bed.

"Jeez Haruka, can't you announce yourself when you enter a room!" Rei said angrily.

"I thought you were asleep. I didn't mean to scare ya." Haruka said apologetically.

"I wasn't scared." Rei denied.

"Uh-huh…sure Rei." Haruka said sarcastically.

"Aren't visiting hours over? What did you come here for?" Rei asked the irritation evident in her voice.

"Well, I promised Bunny I would check up on you and I did want to see how you were doing for myself." Haruka said

"She didn't think I still had plans of escaping this place, did she?" Rei asked.

"No, but she was worried about you and I can't say I blame her, she was really upset when you passed out." Haruka said.

"Please don't remind me." Rei implored with a downcast expression.

"Alright I won't, but can you at least tell me how you're doing?" Haruka asked.

"I've defiantly felt better, but I could be worse. How Michiru doing?" Rei asked.

Haruka's face glowed in a way it only does when she talks about her lover, "She doing really good actually. The doctors are saying she could probably leave in couple days. She still doesn't really remember that night and I don't expect she will since the doctors said if she didn't remember by now she wasn't likely to remember at all. I don't think she'll be fighting too soon either, even though she's leaving the hospital, she still needs to rest." Haruka explained and paused for a few seconds, "Bunny and Ami told me what happened, thanks for handling the youma from the other night. I would have liked another shot at him, but as long as he's gone that's what matters." Haruka said.

"He didn't give me much of a choice, if I didn't kill him; he was going to kill me." Rei said calmly.

"So, he knew who you were before you transformed, huh?" Haruka asked.

"Yeah, don't ask me how though, because I don't know. I'm hoping to get out of here soon so I can meditate on it." Rei said, still being a little irritated that she had to be stuck at the hospital.

"I'm sure they'll let you leave soon, just show them that attitude of yours and they won't be able to kick you out of here soon enough." Haruka said teasingly.

"Ha…ha…ha, very funny" Rei replied sarcastically and heard soft knocking on the door. "Haruka, go hide in the bathroom. If you're caught in here you'll be the one who is kicked out, I was already told no more visitors tonight." Rei instructed; Haruka nodded and ran into the restroom when the door began opening.

The door opened fully and visitor stepped inside, Rei fully expected her to check up on her. "Hello Mizuno-san." Rei said.

"I thought I told you to get some rest." Mizuno-san said calmly.

"Yeah, but I'm really not tired." Rei replied.

'Ami wasn't kidding, she is one stubborn girl.' She thought and let out a sigh. "Well, since you're awake can you tell me how you're feeling, honestly?"

"I'm fine." Rei stated.

"What about your side, any pain?" Mizuno-san asked.

"Not really. It is sore, but it's bearable." Rei said truthfully.

"Alright, I'm putting my faith in you that you're not lying to me, but…" Mizuno-san glanced at her watch, "its one thirty in the morning and want you to promise you'll get some sleep.  I don't want to give you something to make you sleep, but I'll if I need to." Mizuno-san said turning off the light.

"I promise." Rei said. Shortly after Rei heard the door to the room being shut again. "You can come out now!" Rei called to Haruka.

The sandy haired blond stepped out of the restroom and walked back over to Rei, "I should leave so you can rest, it'll do you good. I'm sure Ami told you that sleeping speeds up our healing even more, so get some sleep." Haruka said and started towards the door.

"Wait, can I ask you one thing before you go?" Rei asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Haruka said and turned back around.

"When I went back to the shrine, before I passed out, I didn't remember seeing Setsuna there. Was I already out of it and she really was there or was she absent?" Rei questioned.

"You weren't out of it, she wasn't there." Haruka answered.

"I see…do you know where she was by chance?" Rei asked.

"I can't say that I do, but don't worry about it. I'm sure wherever she was and whatever she was doing was of importance." Haruka said confidently.

"Alright thanks. I'll see you later then." Rei said.

"Yeah, sleep well tonight." Haruka said before quietly leaving the room.

'Why did Setsuna agree to speak with me and then never show up at all?' Rei thought then yawned. 'I guess that thought will have to wait for another time. I'm finally getting tired, I guess.' Rei thought before yawning again. 'It was a long day after all. Sleeping is not so bad, at least there I can dream. No one can take my dreams away from me; at least there I know Usagi loves me.' Rei thought before at last she gave in to exhaustion.

* * *

Mamoru walked slowly into the building that he had become familiar with in the recent weeks. He didn't feel happy by any means but he felt relief as if after speaking with that girl, Serena, at the café had lifted a weight off his shoulders. Frankly he didn't know why he talked so openly with her, he didn't even really know her, but he didn't regret it, he hadn't really spoken to anyone since he had come to this city. Mamoru had made it to the elevator when he heard someone call his name.

"Mr. Chiba, Mamoru Chiba!"

Mamoru turned around to see the hotel desk clerk waving him over, 'What would he want with me? I already paid the bill for a month in advance.' Mamoru thought as he proceeded to the clerk. "Yes, what is it?" Mamoru asked.

"Well sir, I have this letter for you." the man said and reached into the desk pulling out an envelope.

'A letter?' Mamoru thought to himself.

"It arrived a short time ago." he said handing the letter to Mamoru.

Mamoru took the offered envelope and opened it slowly, unsure of whom would send this because he had told no one what city he was in let alone where he was staying. Mamoru began reading the letter, after a few lines his eyes widened, "Who gave you this!" Mamoru demanded loudly, slamming his, letter holding, hand into the desk, and drawing attention from everyone in the lobby, but Mamoru didn't care.

"I-I can't say. The per…person made me pro…promise not to say." the clerk stuttered.

"What?" Mamoru yelled and felt a hand on his shoulder. Mamoru turned his head and saw a rather large security guard standing beside him.

"I'll have to ask you to calm down sir." the security guard said.

Mamoru brushed his hand off, "Don't touch me!" Mamoru said in a warning tone before turning back to the desk clerk, "I'm checking out! I'll go collect my stuff and leave." Mamoru said before walking briskly to the doors that lead to the stairs.

End Ch.11

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fairly short chapter, but marks the first appearance of Mamoru.


	12. The Winds of Betrayal

Chapter 12 – The Winds of Betrayal

* * *

"Wait…let me get this straight. You're saying that the youma Rei fought, the same one from the other night, knew her identity before she even transformed." Makoto said clearly confused by the turn of events.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Ami responded.

The four inner senshi remained quiet upon learning this new information. They agreed to stop at the Crown after school and before visiting the hospital, Ami and Usagi decided last night they need to have a small meeting prior to visiting Rei.

"So is that why the shrine was attacked…" Minako thought a loud.

"That's what I believe; it's only logical to assume as much." Ami responded.

"What do we do now then? It's not really safe at the shrine anymore, but I doubt Rei would willingly leave it with her grandfather and Yuuichirou staying there. They would be in more danger without her to protect the place." Makoto asked anyone in the group.

"I don't want to tell Rei that she has to leave her home, but if I have to I can order her to leave. I would like to save that as a last resort though." Usagi said and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"I think it's important that we find out how they know about Rei. If they know about Rei that means all of our identities are in jeopardy." Ami said worriedly.

"So, you mean all of our identities have been compromised." Makoto questioned.

"While I can't say for sure, I do think it's likely. If they could find out Rei's identity, the rest of us should be easy enough for them." Ami said despondently.

"But if it is true that the enemy does know our identities, why only attack Rei's?" Usagi asked apprehensively. No one had an answer to the question, so she was only met with silence.

After a few more minutes passed Ami spoke up, "I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that we shouldn't take that as a sign that the enemy is unaware of identities as well. All of us need to be on the look out for anything suspicious and we need to be extra careful."

Again everyone in the group nodded their heads in agreement. Minako looked at her watch, "We should get going, so Rei doesn't get too angry with us."

"Yeah, she didn't exactly want to stay at the hospital, but we convinced her it was for the best, right Ami?" Usagi said turning to her friend.

"Yeah." Ami said nodding her head. 'I didn't do anything though; you're the one who convinced Rei to stay there, Usagi' Ami thought and got up to join her friends.

"See ya later, girls!" Motoki called from behind the counter.

"Bye, Motoki-kun!" the girls said in unison.

* * *

'What the hell. I do what Usagi asks of me and she can't even come when she says she would.' Rei thought and looked up at the clock on the opposite wall; five minutes had passed since she last glanced at it. 'I know her school has been out for over an hour, yet she proceeds to make me wait.' * _sigh_ * 'She is so exasperating…but no that's not true, because if that were true; why can't I stay mad at her for very long.' Moments after Rei's thought there was a knock on the door and a few seconds afterwards the door began opening.

"Bout time you showed up, Odango…." Rei began teasingly, but stopped when she didn't see who she was expecting, "Jii-chan?"

"Hello Rei." Grandpa Hino said and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"I didn't think you would leave the jinja. Who's handling the jinja?" Rei asked.

"I left Yuuichirou in charge." He replied.

"Jii-chan, you didn't have to do that. I'm not going to be here long, if they'll let me, I'll be home tonight." Rei said.

"Yes, I know you. I'm sure you would have left as soon as you woke up if you were able." Grandpa Hino said and gave his granddaughter a warm smile. "Besides, I wanted to see how you were doing. I don't know what possessed you to think you could help those young girls fight with those monsters." He said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

'I guess that's the story Minako and Makoto told him. I guess they had to explain why I had to go to the hospital somehow.' Rei thought. "I only did it to help defend the shrine." Rei said most convincingly.

One would think lying about her 'alter-ego' would become easier with time, but Rei never liked having to lie to her grandfather. Sometimes she even suspected he knew more that he was letting on. Her grandfather wasn't stupid and he could tell Rei was likely hiding something from him, but he also had total faith his granddaughter. If she were keeping something from him, she likely had a good reason to. The life of Sailor Senshi was very taxing, both physically and mentally. To have the fate of the earth and future of mankind on your shoulders is a heavy burden indeed.

"I understand that, Rei, but I just don't want to see you get hurt." Grandpa Hino said worriedly.

"I'm fine and nothing is going to happen to me, so you don't need to worry about me. I don't intend to come here again, so you don't have to worry." Rei said sincerely.

"That's good to hear." Grandpa Hino said letting out a sigh of relive. "I have to admit I was about ready go out and help those pretty young ladies, but Yuuichirou stopped me." He pouted.

"Jii-chan! Don't tell me you were ogling those girls!" Rei chastised.

"I do not ogle! Besides, I only saw them for a few minutes before Yuuichirou ran inside and told me to stay way from the shrine entrance." Grandpa Hino said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Rei just rolled her eyes at her grandfather. "What you did was best, it was dangerous, and you know that."

"You're probably right." He said getting up from the chair, "I should be getting back to the shrine. Rest and do what the doctors tell you to do. I already contacted your school and told them you would be missing a few days, so don't worry about that." He said and leaned down and kissed Rei on the forehead.

"Thanks Jii-chan." Rei said, though school was the last thing on her mind.

"I'll be back tomorrow, if you're not home by then of course!" Grandpa Hino said as he stood by the door.

"Good-bye Jii-chan." Rei said and watched her grandfather exit the room. 'I guess its back to clock watching. Damn, this is getting ridiculous. I know Usagi is always late, but everyone else too.' She thought and let out a frustrated sigh. 'At least Jii-chan wasn't too upset with me.' Rei thought as she looked up at the clock again, growing more impatient.

* * *

"So you finally made it." Haruka said and greeted all of the inner senshi.

"Yeah, we thought it was best to have an impromptu meeting before coming." Ami said.

"How would you say she's doing?" Minako asked.

"I'd say she's her usual hot-headed self. Her grandfather is actually with her right now." Haruka replied.

"We should give them some time then." Usagi said and took a seat in one of the many chairs of the waiting room; the others followed suit soon after.

"So, how's Michiru been doing?" Makoto asked.

"She's doing alright. She should be released in a day or two." Haruka said thankfully.

"That's good news! I'm sure you're relieved." Minako said cheerfully.

Haruka smiled, "Yeah, I sure am."

"Oh look, its Rei's grandfather." Makoto said pointing in his direction and all the girls got up to greet the older man.

"Ojii-chan!" Usagi called. "How's she doing?"

"Oh, hello girls." He said addressing the group, "And Rei's do alright, but she is  _very_  eager to get out of here, though." He said with a laugh.

"That's Rei for you! She's a real fighter." Makoto said cheerfully.

"Yeah, thanks for taking care of her, all of you." He thanked.

"That's what friends are for! We take care of each other." Minako said.

"Still, thank you. I glad Rei has friends like all of you. She never really had close friends until she met you girls. She has a strong will and she doesn't talk with me like she used to, so it puts me at ease when she has all of you." Grandpa Hino said sincerely, leaving all the girls at a loss for words for a few seconds.

"You don't need to thank us for being her friend, she's important to us." Usagi said and the other girls nodded their heads in agreement.

Grandpa Hino smiled, "Well, I really should head back to the jinja. Good-bye girls." He said waved as he made his way to the hospital's exit.

Once he had left Minako spoke up, "If you guys don't mind, I would like to talk to Rei first."

"Alright, I'll go with you." Usagi said.

"I'd like to talk with her alone, actually." Minako said surprising Usagi and the rest of her friends, "I won't take too long, I promise" Minako added quickly before anyone could ask questions.

"All right, if that's what you want to do." Usagi said, but still remained a little perplexed as to why Minako wanted to talk to Rei alone.

"It's probably best that we don't go out there as one large group, anyway." Ami added.

"I'll be back soon and then you can go up there Usagi." Minako said and smiled at Usagi before heading towards the elevator. 'I know Rei wants to see you more than me, Usagi, but I need to finish my conversation with her. At least this time she can't run away.' Minako thought to herself and pressed the button to close the doors.

* * *

Makoto looked puzzled, 'What was that about?' she thought but couldn't come up with an answer herself, so decided to ask Ami, 'Ami usually has the answers.' Makoto, currently standing behind Ami, leaned close to girl's ear so she could ask her privately.

"What do you think that was about?" Makoto whispered into Ami's ear.

The blue hair girl's heart to sped up a little when she felt the taller girl's breath on her ear. Ami felt her face warm up and she hoped she wasn't blushing, but she knew that she likely was; it was times like this that she cursed her fair skin.

'Maybe she didn't hear me?' Makoto thought after not getting a normally quick response from Ami. "Ami?" Makoto asked quietly and gently touched the smaller girl's shoulder.

Makoto's touch brought the blue haired girl out of her thoughts, "Sorry. I'm not really sure, but it may have something to do with the other night at the shrine." Ami said quietly.

Before she did anything else to make a bigger fool of herself; Ami felt that she had to break the close proximity between herself and Makoto. So she took a step away from her and addressed the group, "Would anyone like something to drink? I'm going to go get a bottle of water."

"Sure, get me a bottle of water too." Haruka said.

"No thanks, I'm not really thirsty." Usagi replied.

Makoto just shook her head 'no' and watched Ami walk off. 'Did I do something?' Makoto thought and went to sit down again with a puzzled looked on her face again.

* * *

_KNOCK – KNOCK_

Rei looked up towards the door to see who was entering now, 'Maybe it's Usagi." Rei thought. She saw blonde hair first and thought for a few moments that it was Usagi, but she soon realized it was her other blonde friend.

"Hi Rei!" Minako said cheerfully as she entered the room.

"Hi Minako." Rei said with little enthusiasm.

"Not who you were expecting, or maybe hoping for." Minako said and sat down. Rei was about to say something in defense, but Minako spoke before she could, "Its ok, but that is sort of why I wanted to see you first. We weren't able to finish our talk yesterday.  However, before that I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry, for what?" Rei asked a little confused.

"I may not have approached you in the best way. And it was because of the way I confronted you that you felt you were trapped and thought your only option was to run away. Usagi coming early was unexpected, but if I hadn't confronted you the way I did you wouldn't have had to fight that youma alone. And for that I am sorry." Minako said sincerely.

"You're just more perceptive than I would like, Minako. And whether I was at the shrine or on some street near the shrine that youma was going to attack either way. By me being alone, no one else was going to be hurt by him. I wasn't hurt all that bad, I just lost a little too much blood." Rei said.

"You know, you say that like it doesn't bother you." Minako said.

"It doesn't. I can't let a few nicks here and there keep me down for long. You know our duty as senshi keeps us busy." Rei said.

"I'm glad you're in good spirits, Rei. I hope you stay like that after I say what I wanted to say yesterday." Minako said nervously.

"What? If you're going to tell me to tell Usagi, you can forget it." Rei said resolutely.

"I really think you should tell her. It would take a heavy burden off your shoulders and then you would be completely honest with her and yourself." Minako reasoned.

"I already told you I can't do that. I can't put her in that situation. She has Mamoru." Rei said dejectedly.

"And he's not here. Rei, I know our most important job, other then protecting Usagi, is to preserve the future, but no future is set in stone." Minako said.

"This one is." Rei said simply.

"What's with the defeatist attitude?" Minako asked.

"Simple, I've accepted that my fate is live a life of unrequited love." Rei said sadly.

"Won't you at least tell her how you feel? If not for your own sake, then for mine. Please?" Minako pleaded.

" _For yours_?" Rei asked with a confused expression.

Minako shook her head, "Rei, you really are thick-headed." Minako paused for a few moments, but Rei still didn't seem to understand so she just left it at that. "Will you at least think about it?" Minako asked earnestly.

"Sure, I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything." Rei said. She wasn't exactly sure what made her concede, maybe it was the honest way Minako spoke, Rei didn't know for sure, but something made her give in to her friend.

"I don't know what Usagi will say if and  _when_  you tell her, but don't forget that love is all around you, even if you don't see it." Minako said and got up from the chair she was in and stood next Rei's hospital bed. Minako brushed Rei's bangs away from her forehead and smiled at her friend's confusion. She leaned down close to the dark haired girl's ear, "I'll be there for you matter what." She whispered and quickly gave the unsuspecting girl a peck on her lips. It was the faintest of touches, yet it still caused Rei to blush. Minako straightened up and walked to the door, "I'll go get Usagi, she's eager to see you." Minako said and was gone before Rei could even react.

* * *

Elsewhere…

"I don't give a damn what she said. There is a defenseless senshi waiting in the hospital. I will not waste this opportunity." Kenjiro said as threw open the door he was headed through.

The door slamming into the wall gave off a satisfyingly loud bang. He entered a room of various youma, some large, some small, but all menacing looking. Most youma backed off as Kenjiro entered the rather large room. The room was very dirty, but it appeared to be the sleeping quarters of the majority of youma. There were uncomfortable looking cots strewn around the room. Suddenly one particularly ugly youma, he looked like a disfigured humanoid dog, stepped in front of Kenjiro.

"What's got you so upset? No  _special_  projects to do today? Ha, ha, ha." He said sarcastically.

Kenjiro smiled at him, "You should speak only when spoken to." Kenjiro quickly reached down to his belt and pulled out a dagger and slashed the youma's throat before he had a chance to react. The youma fell to the ground and grabbed his throat, but that did little to stop the large amount of blood that escaped from the neck wound. It took little time before the youma stopped twiching and died from the blood loss.

"You really have a way of entering a room." Ichiro said as he stepped around a youma to reach Kenjiro.

"Shut up, I'm not in the mood for your sarcastic remarks." Kenjiro shot back.

"Well, it is true. Is it really necessary to kill one of your fellow youma every time you enter this room?" Ichiro questioned.

"They are  **not**  my fellow youma! They are just fools  **she**  and her lap dog, Ryuji, brought in!" Kenjiro said angrily.

"Nevertheless, I always need up clean up after you when you make a mess; and I'm really getting tired of it." Ichiro said but noticed Kenjiro still maintained his irritated expression despite his attempted humor, so he decided a change of subject was in order. "Do we have any new assignments?"

"No…where's Saburo?" Kenjiro asked.

"He's somewhere called America. He's keeping an eye on one of the Sailor Senshi that went there for some reason. What's got you so angry anyway?" Ichiro replied.

"The senshi of fire, the one who killed Goro, is laying a hospital and  **she**  told me not to do anything about it." Kenjiro said angrily.

"Don't do anything stupid. You've seen what happens when you disobey one her orders." Ichiro cautioned.

"I'm tired of sitting back in the shadows and watching. If you won't do anything, I will! I will avenge our brother!" Kenjiro said passionately.

"Don't be such a fool. What can you hope to accomplish alone?" Ichiro asked.

"Who says I would be alone?" Kenjiro said quietly to Ichiro, but then yelled so the entire room could hear him, "Who hear is itching to kill one of the Sailor Senshi? I know where an injured one is staying, she would easy prey! Anyone who would like piece of the action follow me!" Kenjiro commanded and headed towards the door with a number of youma following behind.

'The fool!' Ichiro thought and saw someone carrying a halberd cross his vision quickly. ' **She**  will know, and even if he does survive against the Sailor Senshi,  **she**  will likely kill him anyway. The fool!' Ichiro thought.

* * *

"Mistress! Kenjiro has defied your wishes! He has taken several youma with him and is heading towards the hospital where the Senshi of Mars is!" Ryuji exclaimed as he entered the thrown room.

"Has he now…" she said calmly.

"You expected him to do so?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Give him thirty minutes…and when that time is up bring him back to me." She said coldly.

"As you wish." Ryuji said.

"Ryuji, you are  **not**  to engage the Sailor Senshi, are we understood?" she said.

"As you wish." He responded again and turned to leave.

"And, one more thing…bring him back  **alive.** I still have some more tasks I need him to perform before he meets his end." She said.

"As you wish." Ryuji said once more before leaving the room, closing the double doors as he did so.

Once the doors were shut the woman in black leaded comfortably back into her chair. A wide grin crossed her lips, "Soon…very soon I shall have what I want…what I need to crush the Sailor Senshi. Ha, ha, ha." Her evil laugh echoed through the empty room.

End Ch. 12

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a setup chapter, but still had a handful of important scenes.


	13. Our New Battleground – Minato-ku Hospital

Chapter 13 – Our New Battleground – Minato-ku Hospital

* * *

'Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Maybe I shouldn't have  _done_  that.' Minako thought as she stepped into the elevator that would lead her back to her friends waiting in the lobby. She pressed a button on the elevator's control panel and the doors slid shut. Minako leaned against the back of the elevator, 'But if it can help her, that's really all that matters to me.' She thought and let out a sad sigh. 'Am I a bad friend…a bad person…if a small part…just a very small part…of me wishes Usagi rejects her? Is that why I am pushing Rei to tell her?' Minako shook her head 'No, I truly believe that if Rei tells her that it would be best for everyone; everything would be out in the open then.' The elevator came to stop and soon after the doors slid open and Minako knew the short ride down was over.

Minako saw her friends sitting together, near to where she had left them a short time ago, except one was missing. No one had noticed her yet, so she just continued towards them. Finally after she had gotten within a couple feet of her friends she was spotted by one of them.

"Hey Minako! Did everything go alright? You didn't look this down when you left." Ami said as stood up to greet her friend.

"Everything's fine. I just can't believe my friends don't even notice when the Goddess of love enters a room." Minako said as cheerful as she could.

"Sorry about that Minako." Makoto said apologetically. Her thoughts were on a different goddess, a blue haired goddess, and her usually behavior.

"You're back pretty quick. Did you talk with Rei about what ever you wanted to talk to her about?" Usagi curiously. She really had the urge to ask Minako exactly what she talked with Rei about, but if she wanted to do it alone it was probably something private between the two of them. This made her even more curious however.

"Yes." Minako said simply and didn't elaborate. "You might want to head up there Usagi, I already told her you were coming up and you know how she can get." Minako said to change the subject.

"Oh right. Rei can be grumpy, but we love her despite her grumpiness." Usagi said happily.

"Speak for yourself!" Makoto said and Usagi just smiled.

"Tell Haruka I went up to see Rei, when she gets back okay?" Usagi said to the group and headed to the same elevator Minako had just come from.

"Yeah, no problem." Makoto replied.

"Where did Haruka go anyway?" Minako asked the two remaining girls.

"She went up to see Michiru." Ami responded.

"Oh, I guess I should have assumed as much." Minako said and walked over to the chair Usagi had just vacated; both Ami and Makoto did the same and returned to the chair they were previously in.

Once they were all comfortably seated Makoto decided now would be a good time to ask her blonde friend what her meeting with Rei was about, "So Minako would like to tell us what you needed to speak with Rei  _alone_  about?"

"No, actually. It was just something I needed talk to her about alone. I'm sorry, but I really can't tell you anything about it, what we talked about is something I need to keep to myself." Minako said.

"Ok, if that's the way you feel." Makoto responded. All her friends were acting weird and she couldn't figure out what was wrong. 'Ami's being distant, despite her saying that she's not trying to be. Minako is hiding something, I don't know what though. Usagi is acting normal most of the time, but sometimes she doesn't act like her normal self either. Even though they are all my friends, sometimes I just don't understand them.' Makoto thought to herself.

* * *

'Minako…I'm sorry.' Rei thought sadly, 'I'm just sorry, I didn't know.' Rei didn't know what to say so she didn't say anything when Minako kissed her. Sure it could have just been a friendly kiss, but Rei knew her blonde friend better than that. 'Minako wouldn't have done that if she didn't mean something else behind it; she not the type of girl that would kiss anyone. It was too tender…too loving for it to be how a friend would kiss a friend.'

Rei sighed and thought bitterly, 'Can nothing ever be easy? On one hand I have one blonde friend that knows how I feel and despite that, holds feelings for me. And on the other hand my other blonde friend is oblivious to how I feel for her and I know that will only lead to heartbreak for me. Then why can't I take the easy road with someone I know at least has feelings for me other than friendship?'

'But I thought about that already, didn't I?' Rei told herself. 'It wouldn't be right to Minako, she deserves someone who would love her wholeheartedly and she definitely shouldn't be anyone's second choice. Besides she's not Usagi; I guess that will always be the problem.' Rei thought and shortly after there was another knock on the door. Slowly the door opened revealing her new visitor, 'She always has a way of showing up when she's on my mind; not that it's too difficult for her to do.'

Rei smiled, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up, Odango Atama."

"Really Rei, you have no patience." Usagi responded and shut the door.

"I do have patience, I just have my limits." Rei corrected.

"I never thought I see the day when you admit that you actually have limits." Usagi said teasingly.

"Hey, I never said I don't have limits, but some of those limits are flexible. Like when it comes to tolerating your tardiness." Rei said good-naturedly.

"Yeah, yeah, and you don't have any faults young lady." Usagi said sarcastically

"Usagi, I'm older than you." Rei corrected.

"Only by three months." Usagi said

"Three and a half months." Rei corrected again.

"Fine, you're three and a half months older than me" Usagi conceded. "Can we get off this subject?"

"Fine by me, I'm sure you didn't come in here to talk about our age differences anyway." Rei said and then noticed Usagi was still standing, "Usagi, you can sit down, you know." Rei said and motioned to the chair near her bedside.

"Oh right." Usagi responded as if she had forgotten that she was still standing herself. She made her way over to the chair and sat down slowly. Instead of continuing talking however, Usagi got quiet. Not only was she quiet, but she also started twirling the end of her hair around finger, which is a nervous habit of hers'. Every so often she would look up at Rei like she was going to say something but she would always look down or turn away before saying anything.

Rei was confused to say the least; one minute Usagi is talking normally with her and the next she's acting all shy. 'What the heck is she so nervous about?' Rei asked herself. 'You better not have said anything to her, Minako. But no, Minako wanted me to tell Usagi and I know Minako wouldn't go behind my back and do something like that.' Rei thought, 'But then that only leads me back to my first question, what the heck is she nervous about?'

Rei decided she should say something since Usagi was obviously having trouble, "Is there something you wanted to ask me?" Rei asked curiously. Usagi was still reluctant to speak so Rei spoke again, "Usagi, if you have something you want to say, say it."

Usagi took a deep breath before finally speaking, "I know I have absolutely no right to ask you this, but umm…how do I say it?"

"Just spit it out!" Rei said. She was getting a little aggravated, but she couldn't help it. Usagi was acting annoyingly shy, which is not how she had become accustom to Usagi acting.

"Umm…are you and Minako…you know…involved?"

* * *

"This is the place." Kenjiro said as he and about ten youma stopped, 'It's too bad its dark out already, this place would be busier when there is daylight.'

Kenjiro looked around that the youma that had come along with him, "You three" he pointed to three youma furthest away from him, "I want the three of you to go around to the back of this large building and find two large grey metal boxes that say 'danger high voltage' and destroy them. Then return to the front of this building and we'll start our assault. Kill anyone that might get in your way."

The three youma nodded and ran toward where they were told to go.

* * *

'How could Usagi ask her something like that? More importantly, why the hell does she care?' Rei thought and when she tried to speak she almost couldn't form the words she was looking for, "What! Where the hell did you get that idea from?"

"I just thought…I mean I just thought that…I've seen how she looks at you sometimes and then yesterday she was at the shrine even when you weren't there, and then there was today; how she wanted see you alone. I just thought…well you know…" Usagi said awkwardly.

"Usagi, don't you think if we were  _involved_  I would have told you." Rei said honestly.

"I don't know. I mean sometimes I can read you like a book, but then other times…other times you're just a real mystery. I would hope if you did find someone that you would tell me about him or her." Usagi said openly.

"Usagi, I don't want to keep anything from you, but there just some things I just can't tell you about." Rei said. 'Kami-sama, what the hell am I doing. I can't talk with Usagi about this subject. If I let something slip…'

"What can't you tell me?" Usagi asked curiously.

"Please Usagi, just leave it at that." Rei implored.

"What can't you tell me?" Usagi repeated. Rei had peaked Usagi's interest and there was no way she was going to leave it at that. If there was something Rei was refusing to tell her it had to be important.

"You don't understand. If you did you would never have asked me about Minako." Rei said sadly.

"What don't I understand? Please tell me so I can understand." Usagi begged.

"Usagi-baka, I can never love Minako because…" Rei started but she couldn't get the words out that would finish her statement.

"Because…" Usagi encouraged Rei to continue.

"Because…because" Rei opened mouth to finish her statement she sensed something that stopped her. Her entire expression changed; there was something evil close by, very close by.

Usagi noticed Rei's expression change immediately, from the face of a friend that was going to say something very important to the face of battle ready warrior. "What is it Rei? What's wrong?" Usagi asked concernedly.

"An evil presence…something's coming." Rei said and sat up sharply. Just as soon the words left her mouth the lights went out.

* * *

The three girls hadn't said anything since Makoto had asked Minako what was going on. It wasn't a comfortable silence, but rather more of an awkward silence. All three girls each had something on their minds, so none of them were really in a talkative mood.

'Those two are more foolish than Rei; at least she has a real reason to be afraid to tell Usagi.' Minako thought as she looked at her two friends. 'I don't think I can deal with their love problems until I've dealt with Rei. Maybe I should just give them some time alone; I want to be alone with my thoughts anyway.' Minako thought and stood up, "If you guys don't mind, I think I'm going to go for a little walk." The other nodded their heads in acknowledgement of their friend; so she headed toward the hospital exit for some fresh air.

'Should I talk to Ami? I want to know why she is being distant; it hurts every time she avoids me. More than she knows…' Makoto thought and then took a deep breath to muster up the courage. It was almost laughable, she was never one to be short on courage and yet here she was. Kino Makoto, the coward…those words in the same sentence didn't really seem to fit. Makoto glanced over to her blue haired friend, 'She seems like she's in her own world, just staring off into space. Maybe I'm just reading too much in this, Ami told me herself that she just has had a lot on her mind. But I just want…no, need to know it's nothing more than that.' Makoto thought and took another deep breath.

"Ami?" Makoto said, startling her friend somewhat.

"Yes Makoto?" Ami said after recover from the break in the silence.

"Do you remember the other night after we left the shrine?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Ami replied.

"You told me then that you'd been acting distant because you had a lot on your mind, but then why have you been acting normally with everyone else. I thought we were supposed to friends." Makoto said the hurt evident in her voice.

Ami was more than a little taken aback by Makoto's words, "I…I'm sorry." 'Everything I've been doing was just self-preservation, on my part. I didn't even stop to think about how Makoto would interpret my behavior.'

"You're sorry? Can't you at least tell me why you're acting like this?" Makoto asked sadly. Ami opened her mouth to respond when the lights went out.

* * *

"And you say Pluto is where exactly?" Michiru asked.

"I'm not sure, she wouldn't tell me." Haruka said.

"And she hasn't returned either?" Michiru asked worriedly.

"No, but I'm sure wherever she is and whatever she's doing is important; she wouldn't have left otherwise." Haruka said.

"I'm sure you're right." Michiru said confidently.

"Aren't I always." Haruka said smugly.

"Not  _always_." Michiru teased when suddenly the lights went out. "Do you feel that?" Michiru asked seriously.

"Youma. Those damn bastards are going to attack the hospital." Haruka said and pulled up her henshin stick.

Michiru looked at her sadly, "I wish I could go and fight with you."

"In due time love, in due time; don't worry I'll make sure to really kick their asses for interrupting our time alone." Haruka said as she got up and walked over to Michiru and put her hand behind her head and pulled her up a little and kissed softly. "I need to go."

"I know." Michiru said simply.

"URANUS PLANET POWER, MAKE-UP!"

* * *

'I can't believe how foolish all of us are.' Minako thought to herself as she stepped outside. 'You would think that after already living one life and being in the middle of a second one we would have learned something by now.' Minako looked up at her planet in the night sky, 'It's just a distant star from here.' All the planets were visible, if you knew where to look for them, but of course the easiest thing to spot in the night sky was the moon. The moon was only half visible this night, but it would soon be full and it would light up the night with its glow.

Minako lowered her head from sky and looked forward when something caught her eye, or rather someone, 'That's an awfully large group of people to be gathered together outside of a hospital.' Minako thought, 'But who am I to judge what people do with their free time.' Suddenly Minako could hear screaming from the hospital, behind her. She turned around and saw that the hospital was dark, and then she turned back to the group across the street to examine them better. One of the members of the group stepped into the light of a streetlight a little and Minako was able to see a…tail?

Minako moved behind a large bush and pulled out her communicator, "Guys we've got problems! The hospital entrance immediately!" Minako said and put away the communicator to get out another familiar device, her henshin stick.

"VENUS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!"

'That light…' Kenjiro thought and focused his attention at source of the light. After a few moments the blonde girl dressed in an orange colored sailor fuku stepped out from behind a large bush; where the light had come from. 'Sailor Venus? What is she doing here? Of course, she must be the one assigned to protect her comrade.' Kenjiro thought, then turned around to the youma that had come with him, "Take care of her, I have someone else to see that's waiting for me." Kenjiro said and ran off in a different direction then hospital entrance, where the other youma remained.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Venus yelled and raised her hand to fire an attack, but the youma had blended in with the darkness too much for her to risk blindly firing off an attack that could miss its target. 'Damn!'

* * *

"What just happened?" Usagi asked when the lights went out.

"They must have cut the electricity." Rei thought aloud. Both Usagi and Rei's communicators activated and Minako's voice could be heard calling for assistance at the hospital entrance.

Rei quickly sensed Usagi's mood change, "Don't worry, I'm sure the back-up generators will start up soon." She neglected to say however that the generators would only give electricity to essential machines, which would mean the lights would likely remain off. "Come on, let's get to work." Rei said and started easing herself out of the bed.

"Wait, what do you think you're doing?" Usagi said as she stood up to stop Rei from getting up.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm going to fight!" Rei said determinedly.

"You can't do that! You're not healed yet!" Usagi said.

"Usagi, because I'm here…because of my presence, the lives of everyone at this hospital are being threatened. I can't just sit back and do nothing!" Rei said.

"I don't expect you to, but I won't let you leave this room. And I'm staying here to make sure you don't." Usagi said resolutely.

"MOON CRISIS, MAKE-UP!"

Rei shielded her eyes as the room became filled with bright light. Once the light had subsided Rei looked towards Usagi, but there stood Sailor Moon. "Usagi, you should go to the others. They need you more than I do." Rei said. Sure it was a lie, but Usagi would be safer with more people around her. Though Rei had no intention of letting anything happen to her either, she also didn't know what might be coming her way.

"Rei, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I have faith that they will handle themselves well enough." Moon said.

"And you don't have that kind of faith in me?" Rei said a little hurt by what Usagi might have meant.

"I didn't mean it like that, Rei." Sailor Moon denied.

"Really? How exactly did you mean it then?" Rei asked angrily and slowly pulled out her IV drop from her hand and slid off of the bed.

"Rei, you know have complete faith in you, but you're hurt and the others aren't. You can't expect me to leave you alone to face whatever might be coming after you." Sailor Moon said.

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!"

"I expect you to trust my judgment." Sailor Mars said defiantly.

Sailor Moon looked at Mars and shook her head; she opened her mouth to speak when the lone window in the room blew out. Mars quickly grabbed her princess by her shoulders and moved her against the near by wall and positioned herself in front of Moon, shielding her from any flying glass. A number of glass shards hit Mars and she winced each time a piece of glass tore her flesh and fuku. Once the glass shower ended, Moon looked at Mars' face; her eyes were closed and she appeared to be in pain.

"Rei, are you alright?" Sailor Moon asked concernedly as she brought her hand toward Mars' face without thinking. Mars' eyes started to open and Moon quickly retracted her hand.

"Better than who ever did that is going to be." Mars said in a deadly voice and pulled out a good size piece of glass from her left shoulder and threw the shard to the ground.

"I'm glad to hear you still have the will to fight, despite your injuries." A figure dressed entirely in black said as he approached the two Sailor Senshi. Both Mars and Moon turned to see just who had entered the room. He wore a black cape that wrapped around his body and that also had a black hood to cover his head and obscure his face.

"And who exactly are you?" Mars questioned him.

"Me? I am Kenjiro. It's good to finally exchange words with you, after watching you for so long." Kenjiro said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mars asked angrily.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kenjiro said cryptically.

"Are you the one that did that to the window?" Sailor Moon asked as she pointed at the blown out window.

"What if I am?" Kenjiro said casually.

Sailor Moon looked over to Mars and saw the many cuts the flying glass had caused, most were just superficial wounds, but some were deeper like the cut on her shoulder where the glass was embedded a short time ago. "I don't know where you get off attacking a defenseless girl in a hospital…" Moon started.

"I'm not defenseless!" Mars denied.

Sailor Moon rolled her eyes, "Fine. How dare you attack a  _nearly_  defenseless girl in a hospital? For love and justice, I'm the pretty solider Sailor Moon. In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

"Was there a point to that little speech? Oh, wait I know. You were trying to bore me to death." Kenjiro said, clearly unimpressed by Sailor Moon's speech.

"Hey!" Moon said indigently.

"Oh, I didn't mean upset you. You've actually made me quite happy, because now I can take the heads of two Sailor Senshi when I was only expecting one." Kenjiro said with a sinister smile.

"I think you'll find that the two of us are more than you've bargained for!" Mars said confidently.

"I'll give you credit for being able to kill that bastard sorcerer and Goro, but don't mistake me for either them; neither of them are in my league. But enough talk, I've been eager to test the skills of you two." Kenjiro said and entered his fighting stance, as did Moon and Mars.

* * *

Ami and Makoto's communicators activated and Minako voice could be heard from the devices. Ami and Makoto looked from the communicators to each other, "We can talk about this later; right now Minako needs our help." Makoto said and Ami nodded her head in agreement. "We need to find somewhere private to henshin first."

"How about the restroom over there?" Ami said pointing to her left. Makoto nodded and the two girls ran in the direction of the restroom.

* * *

"Damn, you youma are annoying!" Venus yelled.

"Crescent Beam!"

Venus called forth her attack and the golden energy beam sailed toward its target with deadly accuracy, piercing the youma in its chest. 'That makes two down, just about eleven more to go.' Venus thought with a sigh. 'If I had an attack that could wipe out more than one youma at a time, this would be a lot easier.' Venus thought and then saw that three youma had gotten past her and were getting closer to the hospital.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

A golden chain wrapped around the youma and Venus pulled on the chain, causing the three youma to fall back. Venus kept pulling on the chain in order get the youma further away from the hospital. "You guys really need to lose some weight!" Venus said as she dragged them a little more, before being struck in her back. She fell to her knees and she lost control of her 'love-me chain', so it broke. 'Damn, there are just too many for me to fight alone.'

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

The green and blue attacks flew over Venus' head and hit the two youma that were closest to her, dusting the two youma almost instantly. "Sorry about taking so long, Venus." Jupiter said as she reached her friend and offered her a hand.

"It's ok. These youma don't seem to be particularly strong, I just had the numbers against me." Venus said and took Jupiter's offered hand and pulled herself off the ground.

"You're not alone now." Mercury said with a smile.

"What do you say we take care of these youma?" Jupiter said and clenched her fists, causing lightning to arch around her hands. Venus and Mercury nodded in agreement and they spread out with Jupiter on the far left, Mercury in the middle, and Venus on the far right. "Give us some cover, Mercury!" Jupiter called.

"Shabon Spray!"

The area where all of them were quickly became covered in a cold fog. Despite being outnumbered the fog would be able to even the odds somewhat.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

The three attacks flew at three separate youma, each hitting its target. All of them moved from their previous positions, so the youma couldn't detect their locations by where their attacks came from. Jupiter spotted two confused looking youma together, one was green and one was brown, and decided to attack them before they realized she was so close to them. She ran at the brown one and quickly punched him in the stomach. The fell to the ground clutching his stomach, so Jupiter turned her attention to the other youma.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Jupiter called forth her attack and pressed her hands against the youma's stomach and before the youma had a chance to react the concentrated electricity blow right through its stomach. She turned around to deal the finishing blow to the youma she had left on ground, but when she turned around it wasn't there anymore. 'Now where did he go off to?' Jupiter asked herself. Suddenly a scaly brown foot kicked her on the side of her head, the force and unexpectedness of the attack sent her into the ground.

Jupiter got on her knees and pulled herself into as standing position, "You did that to the wrong person, you filthy youma." Jupiter said and flicked away a little bit of blood from the corner of her mouth with her thumb; the youma only smiled evilly at her.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Jupiter fired the electrified leaves at the youma, but he seemed to expect it and rolled to the left to avoid being hit, some still hit him however. Both Jupiter and the youma charged each other. Jupiter made the first attempt at an attack, she threw a punch at the youma's ribs, but he batted her hand away with his arm. The youma threw a punch at Jupiter's head, but she was able to duck before she could be struck. Jupiter followed up her defensive maneuver with a chop to the youma's throat that knocked him off balance. She didn't let up though; she kicked him in his knee and making it contort into an awkward angle Jupiter then stepped back a little from him.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The electrified leaves hit the youma dead on this time and he fell to the ground motionless before turning into dust. Jupiter looked around and saw that the fog had dispersed and that all the youma had been eliminated. After a little more scanning of the battle ground Jupiter spotted Mercury and Venus standing together a short distance away.

"Mercury! Venus!" Jupiter called and started running to her friends. For some reason Mercury and Venus started point at her, then she realized they weren't point  **at**  her they were pointing  **behind**  her. Jupiter tried to turn around, but she felt something cut her back, "AAAHHH!" Jupiter fell to the ground and the youma behind her raised its claws again.

"Dead Scream!"

Suddenly a purple energy ball flew into the youma that was standing over Jupiter and in the blink of an eye the youma was nothing more but dust in the wind.

* * *

"Take this!" Kenjiro yelled and reached behind into his cape and threw two throwing knifes in the direction of the two senshi.

"Fire Soul!"

The fire ball left Mars' fingers and intercepted the throwing knifes in mid-air, melting the blades before they could reach their destination. As Mars used her attack on the projectiles, Sailor Moon dodged to the right and summoned her own attack.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Hoping to catch him off guard, Moon threw the golden disc at the youma. For a moment it seemed too worked but he rolled to the right and disc only caught the end of his cape, tearing off a large piece of cloth. 'He's fast.' Moon thought as the tiara returned to her head and she placed it back on her head.

Kenjiro looked down at his torn cape and looked at Sailor Moon, "Not bad, but not good enough!"

Kenjiro sprinted at Moon and her eyes widened as he descended upon her at a break-neck speed. Sailor Moon reached for her tiara again, but before she could do anything an arrow of fire flew between her and the youma; halting him in his tracks.

"Don't take another step towards her!" Mars ordered; she already had another fire arrow ready. "If take another step, I'll kill you!" Mars threatened.

"Will you now?" Kenjiro questioned.

"I will." Mars said in a deadly voice, her eyes never looking away from him.

Kenjiro studied Mars a little longer before backing away from Sailor Moon a little, "I should have expected as much from you. You've always protected her more furiously than any other of the senshi, haven't you?"

"Why don't you keep your mouth shut?" Mars said angrily.

Mars fired off her attack and charged the youma. The youma quickly ducked the flaming arrow, displaying great agility, and got to his feet before Mars reached him. Mars threw a punch at his face, but Kenjiro was able to lean his head away from Mars' fist so the punch would miss. Mars followed her first attempted punch with another, this time she targeted the youma's mid-section. Kenjiro was able to block the second punch with is forearm. Despite not connecting with either strike Mars continued her assault on the youma.

Moon just looked on as Mars attacked the youma. She wanted to do something, but she could risk hitting Mars with one of her attacks. Using her most powerful attack was out of the question, it would cause too much damage to the room, not to mention Mars would be caught up in the attack if tried to use it now. There was only one thing Sailor Moon could think to do and that was to help Mars physically attack the youma. Moon ran to where the two were exchanging blows, while she wasn't the best in hand to hand combat she could hold her own and she'd be damned she'd let Rei fight that youma alone.

Kenjiro realized Mars was favoring her left side, 'She must not have healed completely.' He thought as he side stepped another punch. Mars threw yet another punch at the youma; however he had anticipated this one and caught her fist rather than dodging it.

"You are way too predictable, you haven't healed enough to fight me seriously. So why don't I just end this now?" Kenjiro said and pulled out another dagger from inside his cape. Kenjiro held the dagger close to Mars' left side and Mars' eyes widened as he brought the blade back and prepared to thrust it into her still healing side. Before he had the chance to do anything a red boot kicked him in the stomach, causing him drop the blade. Kenjiro let go of Mars' hand and stumbled backwards, trying to catch his breath again.

"Are you ok?" Sailor Moon asked.

Mars nodded her head, "That was one hell of a kick; you really seemed to have knocked the wind out of him."

"Hehe, yeah. I told you that I wasn't going to let you fight alone." Moon said and smiled in such a way that Mars couldn't help smile back.

"How dare you! You little bitch!" Kenjiro said furiously. He was back on his feet again, obviously having recovered from the unexpected blow to his stomach. "You'll pay for that!"

"Catastrophe Cannon!"

"Sailor Moon!" Mars yelled and pushed the blonde to the floor, away from the youma's attack. Mars however that left her in the line of fire of the attack and energy ball struck her, propelling her back into the wall. She hit the wall hard and it knocked the wind out of her. She slid down the wall and dropped to her knees after hitting the wall and fell on to her stomach.

"Mars!" Sailor Moon called as she got up and ran to the motionless girl. Moon knelt down next to Mars and turned her on to her back. She started shaking her, "Mars! Wake up! Mars!"

Sailor Moon put her head down to her chest, 'Her heart's still beating strong. She's only unconscious then, thank God.' Moon thought and let out small sigh of relief. Moon looked up from Mars at the youma that was the cause of her senshi's unconscious state. "I'll make you pay for doing that!"

"Moon Gorg…" Moon started.

"I would think twice about using that technique. Think of the damage you could do to this place." Kenjiro said cockily. After a short pause he continued, "Fortunately, I don't have such reservations!"

"Catastrophe Can…!"

Before Kenjiro could finish his attack call the door to the room burst open.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

Multiple energy blades flew from Uranus' talisman and struck the unsuspecting youma. The youma fell to the floor having suffered numerous cuts and weakening him greatly. Sailor Uranus ran into the room and stood protectively in front of Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars.

* * *

Ryuji stood perched on a near by tree that gave him a good view of the hospital room and the hospital entrance, where the rest of senshi had been fighting. He had done as he was told; he had not interfered in any way, yet. He watched both of the fights with interest. Of course he didn't voice his opinion, but he was eager to fight as well.

' _Ryuji._ ' A voice said mentally.

' _Yes?_ ' Ryuji responded.

' _Kenjiro's time is up. Go and retrieve him._ ' The voice said.

Ryuji looked up at the sky, 'It doesn't appear to have been thirty minutes yet.' He thought.

' _Stop stalling and retrieve him, Ryuji_.' The voice said.

' _As you wish_.' Ryuji replied and crouched down to jump through the hole in the wall where a window once was.

* * *

"Are you alright, Princess?" Uranus asked.

"I'm fine, but Rei's out cold. It's not safe for her to be here anymore." Moon responded and Uranus nodded her head, acknowledging the girl's statement without turning around.

"Let me just finish that guy off." Uranus and approached the youma on the ground, when someone jump through the hole in the wall.

"I can't let you do that Uranus!" An unknown youma announced and picked Kenjiro up off the floor and tossed him over his shoulder.

"And just who the hell are you?" Uranus questioned.

"I don't have the time to answer such a trivial question. Perhaps another time, Sailor Senshi." Ryuji said and turned toward the hole he had just come from.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Uranus asked angrily.

"Sorry Senshi, while I do wish I could stay and play with all of you that will have to wait for another time." Ryuji said and continued to leave.

"Don't think we're going to let you get away!" Uranus growled.

Sailor Moon looked up from Mars and saw that Uranus was powering up her attack. "No, not inside! Uranus!" Moon cried, but Uranus didn't hear her.

"World Shaking!"

Sailor Moon covered Mars with her body as soon as Uranus' attack left her hands, to try and offer the motionless senshi some protection. The yellow energy ball sailed toward the youma. Once the energy ball was close enough he materialized a halberd in his hands and lifted it into the air and sliced the ball of energy in half. The spilt energy collided with the wall behind the youma, shaking the building and blowing out a large portion of the wall.

* * *

BOOM

"What was that?" Venus asked and turned back to the hospital to see a section of the wall be blown apart. It took Venus a few more minutes to realize just where the explosion came from; once she did her eyes widened and fear filled her heart, "Oh my God! That's Rei's room!"

"What?" Pluto asked quickly. She looked around, Mercury was kneeling next to Jupiter on the ground, and it was then that she realized there were members missing from their group, 'don't tell the she's up their too?' Pluto thought but she already knew the answer, "Princess!"

End Ch. 13

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A ton of fighting here, which is still a taste of fighting that remains.


	14. Temporary Living Arrangements

Chapter 14 – Temporary Living Arrangements

* * *

"Uranus, I already told you I don't have time to play with you today. So, if you don't want to destroy this building and kill countless humans; I suggest you take care of your comrades instead of me." Ryuji said seriously.

Uranus looked at the ground and saw Sailor Moon lying on top of Mars. They were covered in dust and dry wall from the explosion, but neither appeared to be seriously hurt. When Uranus looked up again, the two youma were gone. 'You won't get away from me next time' Uranus thought before turning her attention back to two senshi on the ground. Uranus knelt down beside the girls and shook Sailor Moon's shoulder a little.

"Hey, Usagi wake up." Uranus said quietly.

Moon shifted a little when she heard someone telling her to get up, "I don't want get up yet. Can't I sleep a little longer, Mom?"

"Princess, get up." Uranus repeated, a little more loudly this time.

'Princess? My mom doesn't call me that.' She thought then remembered where she was. Moon opened her eyes, but quickly shut them when she got dust in her them. She sat up and started rubbing her eyes to clear her vision.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Uranus asked.

"Yeah, I just got some dust in my eyes." Moon said then blinked her eyes a few more times until she could see clearer. Sailor Moon looked around and saw the damage to the room, "We need to get out of here." She looked down at Mars sadly and leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, "Rei, please undo your transformation." Mars frowned a little as if she had heard Sailor Moon's voice and after a few minutes Rei's red and white fuku faded away, leaving her in a blood stained hospital gown.

Uranus looked on with a surprised expression on her face, "How did you undo her transformation?" Uranus asked.

"I didn't, she did it." Moon responded. "Can you carry her out of here, Uranus?"

"Out of here?" Uranus asked.

"Yes, it's not safe for her to stay here anymore. Plus I think it would be best for us to leave before anyone comes to investigate what happened in here." Moon said and stood up.

"Right. Where to though?" Uranus asked as she lifted Rei off the ground.

"Let's go to where Venus and the others are first. I want to make sure they're all alright." Moon said.

"Gotcha!" Uranus said and walked to where the outside wall to the room used to be, with Moon following closely behind.

* * *

"What was that?" Venus asked when she saw someone leap out of the room Rei was in and ran away from the hospital.

"A youma." Pluto stated simply.

"A youma?" Venus repeated. Then she remembered, before she engaged the youma at the hospital entrance one of the youma had broken away from the group and went somewhere else. 'That must be the youma I just saw.' Venus thought.

"We've got to make sure everyone is alright up there." Venus said as she looked back up at destroyed hospital room. Just then she saw two more figures leap down from the third story room. These two didn't run away, instead they ran towards where Venus and remaining senshi were gathered. "Be alert, someone's coming!" Venus commanded.

As the duo neared, it became clear that it was not a pair, but rather a trio. The taller of the two was carrying someone and the shorter one was becoming recognizable the closer the figure got. The hairstyle of the shorter one, indicated that it could only possible be one person.

"Princess, you're alright." Pluto said, sounding relieved.

"Pluto? When did…?" Uranus questioned.

"Not now." Pluto said in an unquestionable tone. "What happened?"

"A youma tried to sneak attack Rei." Moon answered, when she noticed Mercury was kneeling over Jupiter. "What happened to her?" Moon asked and ran beside Mercury.

"A damn youma got me from behind." Jupiter said and pushed herself into a kneeling position.

"You need to have those cuts tended to." Mercury said worriedly.

"If you're telling me to go in there" motioning to the hospital, "These aren't serious enough to warrant that." Jupiter said.

"I'm glad you're alright." Moon said and put a hand on Jupiter's shoulder.

"What happened to Rei? And why did you take her from her hospital room?" Venus asked.

"Well her room isn't in any shape for her to stay there anymore. I kind of destroyed a good portion of it." Uranus said sheepishly.

"And she's hurt because she was protecting me." Moon said somberly.

"But that's what she should be doing." Pluto said.

Moon turned quickly to Pluto and stared at her. A number of emotions flashed in her eyes, the one that scared Pluto most was anger, an emotion rarely shown by Usagi or alter ego, Sailor Moon, for that matter. "I don't want anyone to be hurt because they are protecting me…Rei least of all. I think she's been through enough recently." Moon's voice lost the angry edge to it when she added, "I was one who was supposed to protect her tonight."

"I'm sorry, that was out of line." Pluto apologized.

Before Sailor Moon could respond, the lights went on all around the hospital, "We should get out of here, before we draw too much attention to ourselves." Uranus said.

"Uranus is right. We need to undo our transformations and leave here before we're notice." Venus agreed.

"Alright, it would be best for us to leave." Moon said as she addressed the Sailor Senshi and all nodded their heads in acceptance.

Jupiter pulled herself to her feet and stood unsteady for a few seconds before falling forward a little, but Mercury held her up. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I just need to find my balance and I'll be alright." Jupiter said and tried unsuccessfully to walk straight.

"Let me help." Mercury said and wrapped her arm around Jupiter's waist, careful not to disturb any cuts. 'I know shouldn't enjoy holding her in this situation, but can't help but enjoy this short time when I can be so close to her and this action can't be construed in any other way then me wanting to help a friend.'

"Thanks. I guess I'm not as steady on my feet as I thought I was." Jupiter said with a laugh.

"You really need to have these cuts tended to before they get infected." Mercury said seriously.

"Over here!" Venus called and waved everyone over to a dark and deserted alley. "This would be a good place to de-transform."

All senshi went into the dark alley and emerged in their civilian identities. "What now then?" Haruka asked, still carrying Rei.

"I need to get home and clean these cuts." Makoto said, still being supported by Ami.

"I'll help you." Ami offered and Makoto nodded her head in acceptance before they started off slowly.

"Ami could you make sure your mom knows how sorry we are that Rei is gone, but let her know that Rei is indeed ok." Usagi said.

"Sure, I don't know what can say about the room being destroyed, but I'll come up with something." Ami replied before continuing to help Makoto.

"So where to Princess?" Haruka asked after the two girls left.

Usagi thought for a second before replying, "Is your car nearby?"

"It's not too far, why?" Haruka asked.

"I don't think you want to carry Rei as far as we are going to go." Usagi said.

"And how far is that?" Haruka asked curiously.

"I'll tell you when we get to your car." Usagi said.

"Could you drop me off at home than Haruka?" Minako spoke up.

"I don't see why not?" Haruka said with a shrug, "What about you Setsuna?"

"Will there be room enough for me to ride along with you?" Setsuna asked.

Haruka looked at the other girls before saying, "I'm sure we can squeeze you in, it might be a tight fit though."

"Let's get going, I think we've stayed here long enough." Usagi addressed the group. They agreed and set off for Haruka's car, with Haruka leading the way.

* * *

Elsewhere…

"Here he is." Ryuji said and roughly threw Kenjiro to the ground.

An evil smirk crossed the lips of the woman sitting in front of the two youma, "Thank you Ryuji. I trust that you followed the instructions I gave to you."

"As best I could mistress. Uranus tried to stop me, but I didn't raise a hand against her." Ryuji explained.

"Good, I'm glad someone can follow my orders." she said and glared at Kenjiro, who was now kneeling before her.

"How dare you defy me?" she said and got up from her chair and approached Kenjiro. "I told you not to do anything and yet, here we are." She stopped only a few steps away from the youma.

She placed her hand just above the youma's head, her palm downward. Kenjiro flinched as she just kept her hand, hovering over his head. After a few more long minutes, she retracted her hand, "But I will not kill you, nor will I sully my own hands. Ryuji!" She called.

"Gladly." Ryuji said with a smirk on his face and cracked his fingers.

She backed away and went back to sitting on her thrown. Ryuji raised his hand and prepared to strike Kenjiro, "Just…don't kill him." She stated offhandedly.

"As you wish." Ryuji responded and drove his fist into the side of Kenjiro's already injured face.

Kenjiro grunted as he slammed into the cold ground from the force of the punch. Without letting up, Ryuji kicked him in his side, knocking on to his back. Ryuji leaned down and drove his knee to Kenjiro's side multiple times. When he finally heard a loud creaking sound, he smiled as Kenjiro howled in pain. Ryuji drove his knee into his side more time for good measure and Kenjiro screamed even louder then. The woman sitting at the throne was smiling through Kenjiro's ordeal and smiled even wider when he would cry out in pain. Ryuji got up, walked over to his other side, and proceeded to do the same thing he had done to his other side. Once he had successfully broken ribs on both sides of his rib cage, Ryuji proceeded to straddle him and began punching him in the face mercilessly. Every so often Ryuji would thrust his elbows into his shoulders, hoping to dislocate them as well. Eventually Kenjiro gave in to the pain and passed out. When the woman in black noticed that Kenjiro was no longer crying out in pain she signaled for Ryuji to stop.

"I think that's enough. I want you to chain him up outside, with these energy bindings." She said and held up two golden glowing chains. "He is not to be feed, until I deem it alright for him to. Make sure everyone knows this is what will happen if anyone else decides to defy me. Let them know I let him off easy, but I won't be so forgiving to the next one that goes against my orders. The next one that defies me will be sent to oblivion by my own hands."

"Hai!" Ryuji responded, slightly out of breath.

* * *

After a short time, Ami and Makoto had made it to her apartment, "Shouldn't you be heading home yourself?" Makoto asked as she eased herself onto the sofa that wasn't too far from the door.

"No one's there, my mom is pulling a double and I would rather be here with you." Ami said without thinking. "I-I mean someone is going to have to help you dress your wounds, you can't reach all of them on your back. Your first aid kit is still in the bathroom, right?" Ami said quickly and without waiting for an answer ran into the bathroom.

Makoto just stared at the space her friend previously occupied, 'What the heck is up with her?'

'Oh my God, did she notice what I said? I'm so stupid.' Ami thought as she frantically searched through cabinets for the first aid kit. After opening the cupboard below the sink, she finally found what she had been looking for. Ami took it out and opened it to make sure it had all the necessary things to treat Makoto's wounds. After she was satisfied that what she need was in there she closed the box and took a deep breath, 'Calm down. Makoto has already told me I'm acting strangely around her and if I go out there like this she'll know something is really going.' Ami told herself and took another deep breath before looking for the last items she would need. She spotted a dry washcloth by the bathtub and grabbed it. Ami turned on the hot water and soaked the cloth underneath it. She rung out the washcloth, so it wouldn't be too wet and turned off the water. Ami picked up the items, left the bathroom, and went into the kitchen for the last item she needed. Ami quickly went to one of the cabinets and pulled out a metallic bowl. She went to the sink and filled the bowl about half way full with hot water before returning to Makoto.

"I'm sorry about that; I just wanted to get this as soon as possible." Ami said displaying the first aid kit. 'It was partially true at least.' Ami reasoned with herself.

"Alright." Makoto said and reached for the metal box, Ami held it away from her.

"No. I told you, I'll help you take care of your wounds." Ami said.

"You really don't have to do that, you know?" Makoto said.

"I don't  _have_  to, but I want to. What kind of a friend would I be if I let you tend to your own injuries? And since you refused to go the hospital to let them do anything for you, I'm not going to let you nurse yourself when I'm here." Ami said.

"Still, you don't need to do this. I've taken care of myself, by myself, for this long so tending to a couple cuts is nothing." Makoto said dismissively.

"Just…just let me do this for you. Please?" Ami asked pleadingly.

"Alright." Makoto relented.

Makoto grabbed the sides of her shirt and started pulling it over her head slowly. Ami noticed she was wincing as she was pulling the shirt off, "Do you want me to help?" Ami offered.

"No, I've got it." Makoto replied and finally removed her shirt and sighed in relief, 'That was a little more taxing than I thought it would be. It's probably a good thing Ami offered to help. I just wish I knew why she was so persistent about helping.'

'Oh God, to have a body like that. Focus Ami!' "Umm, Mako-chan could you lay on your stomach." Ami said after she lost her focus momentarily.

"Sure." Makoto said and did as she instructed.

Ami picked up the washcloth she had taken from the bathroom, "This may sting a little." Ami said as she prepared to dab the damp cloth on the other girls back. Makoto nodded in acknowledgement, Ami took that as her sign to go ahead and cautiously touched one of the cuts with the towel. Makoto sucked in her breath sharply and flinched at the contact, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, you said it would sting. It stung a little more than I thought it would, but don't worry about me. I can take this; it's not too painful really. If I try not thinking about, I'll hardly feel it. It's worked for me before." Makoto said and looked over her shoulder at Ami.

Ami nodded and continued carefully cleaning the cuts. Once she was satisfied that she cleaned each cut properly and had wiped away all the dry blood covered Makoto's back, she put the dirty cloth into the bowl she had brought and opened the first aid kit. After a little searching she took out a tube of antibiotic ointment, "This will be a little cold." Ami warned before squirting some of the cream on Makoto's back.

Ami rubbed in the cream and after a couple more applications Ami gave each cut their fare share of the ointment. Ami put the ointment away and took out some gauze and bandages, "I'm almost done, I just need to bandage the cuts."

"Ok." Makoto said quietly. She wasn't used to someone else caring for her, but she found herself not minding it. 'I thought she wanted to avoid me. Then why is she doing all of this for me?' Makoto thought. She couldn't think of any logical answer, but one thing she knew for sure was that she liked the Ami that was with her right now, not the distant Ami she had been recently.

Makoto continued mussing about Ami when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, "I'm all done now."

"Oh, alright." Makoto said and sat up. She grabbed her bloody shirt and headed into her room, while Ami cleaned up the medical supplies and brought the first aid kit back into the bathroom. By the time, Ami returned Makoto was in the living room again, but with a clean shirt on.

"I should probably get going." Ami said as she walked over to Makoto.

"Do you want to eat something first? I can whip something up really quick." Makoto offered.

Ami thought about it for a few seconds, it was tempting but…, "No, but thank you for the offer." Ami said and picked up her purse. "If you remove the bandages, make sure apply the ointment again. I don't think you'll need to do that for more than a couple of days; your senshi healing will help."

Makoto nodded her head slowly, "I understand."

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, ok?" Ami said and walked to the door.

"Ami!" Makoto called before the other girl could open the door.

Ami turned around to see Makoto was now standing next to her, "Yes?"

"I...uh…just wanted to say thank you." Makoto said.

"You don't need to thank me. It makes me feel good when I can help my friends." Ami said and another thought entered her mind, 'Seeing Makoto without her shirt on was bonus.' Ami pushed that thought aside however.

"Still…thanks." Makoto said and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, giving her a tender hug and causing her to blush a deep red. Ami stiffened at the contact at first, but hesitantly she put her arms around Makoto as well.

"I'll always be there if you need me, Mako-chan." Ami said and hugged Makoto tighter, but not tight enough to disturb any of her injuries. Ami reluctantly let go of Makoto and she did the same, "I'm going to get going now."

Makoto nodded and Ami opened the door, "Bye Mako-chan." Ami said and waved from the doorway and Makoto waved back before Ami shut the door. Once Ami shut the door, she leaned against the wall next to it. She didn't want to go home to her empty house but there was no way Makoto wanted her to stay, so she pushed herself off the wall and began her walk to her home.

Makoto's hand fell to her side and she shut off the lights before heading to her room. She crawled into the bed, fully aware that she had not changed into her sleepwear, but she didn't see the need to. 'Another night alone in this quiet apartment.' Makoto thought and for some reason felt a tinge of sadness at the thought. She couldn't understand why, she'd lived alone for the better part of her life but when Ami was here with her it just felt like it was the most naturally thing in the world for that time. She pulled up her blankets as an afterthought and shut her eyes; hoping sleep could answer some of her questions.

* * *

"Usagi?" Minako asked quietly. Minako sat behind the driver seat and Usagi sat in the middle with Rei on Usagi's other side, while Setsuna sat in the passenger seat and Haruka drove.

"Yes?" Usagi responded.

"Where are you planning on taking her?" Minako asked and glanced over to Rei, she was still out cold. 'I hope she wakes up soon, it's not good for her to be unconscious for that long.'

"I don't want to take her to the shrine because that would be too much of a shock to her grandfather to wake up and find Rei in her room without any warning. Plus I'm not so sure it would be much safer for her to be there than the hospital was." Usagi said quietly.

"So, where is it you're thinking of taking her then?" Minako asked curiously. Usagi leaned close to Minako's ear and whispered something. Minako looked surprised at first, but also felt a tinge of sadness, "Oh." she muttered.

"What is it Minako?" Usagi asked when she heard a bit of sadness in her friend's voice.

"We're here Minako!" Haruka called from the front seat.

Minako turned away from Usagi to address Haruka, "Thank you for dropping me, Haruka." Minako said and reached for the door but stopped when she felt Usagi's hand on her shoulder.

"Minako?" Usagi asked.

"Don't pay any mind to me Usagi. Just take care of Rei, please?" Minako said and was out the door before Usagi could respond.

The car was silent as Haruka waited for Minako to get inside safely. "Where should we take her? Do we bring her home, to the shrine?" Haruka asked as she pulled away from Minako's house and looked her rear-view mirror at the two girls.

Usagi looked over to Rei; she looked like she was sleeping. "Go to my house." Usagi said.

'Your house?' "But where do you want me to take Rei to?" Haruka responded.

"That's where we'll take her. Rei can stay at my house." Usagi said seriously, as she looked at Haruka.

"What? You can't be serious Princess." Setsuna said after having remained silent through the entire car ride.

"I am serious." Usagi said quickly and turned to the older woman.

"Shouldn't you consult your parents first?" Setsuna asked.

"Maybe…but I'm not talking about forever here. I just think she could stay there until she fully heals." Usagi said.

"Are you sure that would be best?" Setsuna asked.

"Why are you questioning me so much on this? This is my decision, Setsuna-san." Usagi said authoritatively.

"I'm sorry." Setsuna apologized, "I just want you to be sure of your decision."

"I am sure, so you needn't worry." Usagi said seriously and looked back over the Rei. Setsuna gave her a disapproving look when she turned away, but nodded her head in acceptance anyway.

Haruka looked from Setsuna to Usagi and shrugged her shoulders, "Now that that's settled, it's on to the Tsukino house then!" Haruka announced.

The rest of the ride was uneventful and thanks to Haruka's driving, they were at Usagi's home rather quickly. Once Haruka had stopped, she stepped out of the car, walked over to Usagi's door and opened it for the other girl.

"Thank you, Haruka." Usagi said and stepped out of the car. "Could you do me one more favor?" Usagi asked.

"Sure, what did you need?" Haruka asked.

"You see that window up there?" Usagi asked and pointed at a second story window. Haruka nodded, "I want you to take Rei threw that window. I'll go in through the front door so my parents know that I'm home. I'll be up there as soon as I can, but the window should be open already."

"Alright, think I'll transform to make the climb easier." Haruka said and went to the other door to get Rei.

"I'll remain here, Haruka." Setsuna said from her car seat. Haruka nodded her to acknowledge her statement and opened the door. She picked Rei up and quickly headed to the side of the Tsukino house.

* * *

Usagi pulled out her keys and opened the door to her house, "I'm home Mom! Dad!" she exclaimed to the house and removed her shoes. Ikuko poked her head out of the kitchen to greet her daughter.

"Oh Usagi you're back. How's your friend doing?" Ikuko asked.

"She's doing better. Where's Shingo?" Usagi asked, changing the subject.

"He's doing homework in his room." Kenji said as he looked up from the newspaper.

"Oh alright, I'm going to my room too." Usagi said and began walking away.

"Do you want any leftovers from dinner?" Ikuko asked.

Usagi thought about it for a few minutes, she didn't want to make Haruka wait, but she also didn't want to say no, to her mother's cooking. 'I can always come back down after I talk to Haruka.' She thought and smiled. "I'll come down after I put my stuff in my room." Usagi said and sped up the stairs to her room.

Usagi opened the door and saw Uranus placing Rei on her bed, "Hey Haruka, you didn't have a hard time did you?"

"Nah, scaling a tree while carrying someone is a piece of cake." Uranus joked and undid her transformation.

"Thank you for all your help today Haruka." Usagi said.

Haruka turned around and bowed, "I'm at your bidding Princess."

Usagi blushed at Haruka's antics, "I'm being serious."

"As am I Princess." Haruka said, still keeping her bow.

Usagi just shook her head, "Stand up straight and stop joking around."

"As you wish your Highness." Haruka said lightheartedly and stood up. "Let me know how she's doing later." Haruka said more seriously.

"Sure." Usagi said with a nod of her head. She watched as Haruka exited through her window and climbed skillfully down the tree to the street below. Usagi looked down at Rei, 'I can't let her sleep in that bloody hospital gown, but I'd better go down stairs and eat something before mom comes up here to check on me.'

"I'll be back soon, Rei." Usagi said and grabbed a blanket to cover her so she wouldn't get cold. Usagi walked to her bedroom door and took one more glance at Rei before heading back down stairs quickly.

* * *

"So nothing happened in my absence?" Setsuna asked.

"No, but what is this all about Setsuna? If the Princess is in danger I want to know." Haruka said.

"The Princess is always in danger until her destiny is fulfilled." Setsuna responded.

"Then tell what this has to do with Rei." Haruka inquired.

"I can not." Setsuna answered.

"Damn it Setsuna! Don't we have the same goals? Are we not fighting to achieve the same thing?" Haruka asked angrily.

"We do and we are, but I have to ensure the timeline and to do that there are some things that I can't say." Setsuna said.

"Fine, but I hope you know if what you're doing is the right thing." Haruka said.

"I know what I'm doing." Setsuna said. 'If I doubt myself, what can I believe in?'

* * *

Light started filling the room, the rays of light landed on the raven-haired girl's face and she groaned as she started to wake up at last. Her hand went to the back of her head, "Oh, my head." She complained as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked up at the ceiling, 'Something's not right. This isn't my room or even the hospital.' Her other senses told her that she was neither place as well. The bed was too soft to be the hospital bed she had slept in, but it didn't feel like her own bed either. Rei took a deep breath, 'This smell, this is…' she thought and turned her head to the right and her suspicions were confirmed. "Usagi?" Rei said and sat up a little too quickly, causing her to wince.

The blonde girl must have heard her because she started to stir on the futon next to Rei. Rei turned away from Usagi, 'What am I doing here? The last thing I remember was being hit by that youma's attack.' Rei turned back to Usagi when she heard another groan from her Princess' direction. Rei saw that the other girl's eyes were now starting to open sleepily.

Usagi looked Rei's direction and her eyes opened fully, "Oh Rei you're awake! I was starting to get worried, but I couldn't stay up any longer. How do you feel?" Usagi said as she sat up and looked at the other girl.

"Usagi, what am I doing here? In your bed?" Rei questioned.

"I didn't think the hospital was safe for you anymore, so I thought it was best for you to get out of there." Usagi explained.

"You couldn't have done all that by yourself." Rei said

"No, I had the help of Haruka and Setsuna, well Haruka mainly…" Usagi continued talking, but Rei's thoughts went to the woman who either was ignoring her or just plain forgot she was going have a little 'talk' with her, but both actions were very unlike Setsuna. 'Setsuna? So she is around, is she just avoiding me?' Rei thought.

"…and Haruka carried you in here through the window. I didn't want to let my parents or brother know by going in through the front door." Usagi finished.

"And this?" Rei asked motioning to the pink pajamas with white bunnies that she was currently wearing.

"Umm…that…well I didn't think you would want to wear that dirty hospital gown, so I…ah…took the liberty of changing you into those." Usagi said as her face turned a light shade of pink.

Rei blinked a few times, had she heard her right. "You changed me?" Rei asked more than a little stunned.

"Well yeah. I didn't think you would mind. I mean it's not like you've got anything I haven't seen before." Usagi said dismissively, but she continued to blush a little.

Rei turned a bright shade of red, 'My God she's dismissing it like it was nothing. Then again it probably did mean nothing to her, other than helping one of her friends.'

"Rei?" Usagi asked, cutting off Rei's train of thought.

"Yes?" Rei asked.

"You're not mad are you?" Usagi asked cautiously.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Rei asked confusedly.

"Well, I didn't ask you if I could do any of the things I did. I just did them, I decided to take you from the hospital, I decided to take you to my house, I decided to…" Usagi tried to continue, but Rei talked over her.

"Usagi stop, I'm not mad. I'm glad you were looking out for me when I couldn't look out for myself. You didn't have to do any of what you did, but you did it anyway and for that, I'm thankful. How could I be mad at you when you were looking out for me?" Rei said sincerely.

"I'm sorry Rei. You were just being so quiet I thought you were angry." Usagi said.

"Usagi I was just thinking, but there is one more thing I would like to ask." Rei said.

"Yeah, what is it?" Usagi asked.

"Do you think I could use the shower? I feel a little dirty. I wasn't really able to shower at the hospital." Rei asked hopefully.

"Sure, but try to be quiet. I didn't really tell my parents you're here." Usagi said awkwardly.

"Will do." Rei said and got up slowly. Usagi watched her cautiously to see if she needed any help. Once Rei reached the door Usagi thought of something.

"Wait!" Usagi said and ran over to her dresser. After a little bit of searching she pulled out one of her larger shirts and skirts, "Here. You don't have anything to wear, so you can borrow these." Usagi said and handed her the clothing.

Rei smiled, "Thanks." she said and left the room. Usagi sat back down on the bed that Rei was previously sleeping in, leaned back on to it, and looked up at the ceiling.

* * *

Rei walked as stealthily as she could into the bathroom; luckily, it wasn't too far from Usagi's room. Rei turned the water on. The best way not to be seen would be to finish as quickly as possible. As Rei waited for the water to warm up a little more she looked to the clothes Usagi had given her. She couldn't remember ever seeing Usagi wearing either and she paid close attention to what Usagi was wearing most of the time. 'She must have purposely picked out something that I would normally wear.' Rei thought and smiled, 'Usagi's too thoughtful sometimes.'

Rei put her hand under the water to test it again and smiled, 'Just right.' Rei pulled off her shirt and was surprised when it didn't aggravate the cuts she had received last night. She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed she had bandages where she didn't have them before. Then a thought struck her, 'Usagi…she must have bandaged my wounds too.' Rei smiled and took off the rest of her clothes before stepping into the shower.

* * *

Rei walked back into Usagi's room and saw that she was now sitting at her desk, near her bed, brushing out her hair. Rei shut the door quietly and stepped into the room. Rei just enjoyed admiring Usagi's beauty, the light shined off her hair as she brushed it giving her a certain glow. 'Her hair's really long when it's not up in her usual odangos.' Rei ideally thought, 'I can just admire her like this forever.' Her quiet moment ended when Usagi turned around and noticed that Rei had returned already, so she stood up and walked over to her.

"Oh Rei you're done already." Usagi said and looked at Rei before turning a light shade of pink and looking away.

"What?" Rei asked curiously.

"I just think you look better in that than I would." Usagi said shyly.

Rei couldn't help but blush a little too as looked down at herself, 'I doubt that.' she thought. "Umm Usagi can I ask you one more thing?" Rei asked, affectively changing the subject.

"Yeah, what did you want to ask?" Usagi asked.

"Why did you dress my wounds? You didn't need to do that." Rei said.

"I didn't  **need to,**  but I wanted to and that's the least I could do for you." Usagi said shyly and then thought of the other reason she felt that she needed to tend to the other girl's wounds. "You got those wounds because you were protecting me." Usagi said quietly.

"Usagi…I would do anything to ensure your safety and I won't stop protecting you." Rei said sincerely.

"Because I'm the Princess…" Usagi said dejectedly and looked at the ground.

"No…because you're you. I will always put my life on the line for you at a moment's notice, because you're you." Rei said and walked over to Usagi and put her hands on her shoulders.

Usagi looked up at Rei when she felt the other girl's hands on her. When they looked into each other's eyes, Rei saw that Usagi's eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. "You cry too much Princess." Rei said and brushed away a falling tear. "Please don't cry, especially for me. I want your eyes to be filled with happiness, not sadness. It makes me sad to see you crying out of sorrow. So please, don't cry." Rei pleaded, but that only seemed to cause more tears to come.

Rei took her hands off Usagi's shoulders and wrapped her arms around the other girl's slightly smaller frame. Rei was surprised when Usagi returned the gesture, "Come on. Don't cry." Rei said and rubbed Usagi's back comfortingly. That seemed to help, so Rei continued drawing circles on Usagi's back with her hands until her crying had slowed enough to satisfy her. Rei reluctantly pulled herself away from Usagi, put a hand on each of Usagi's cheeks, and wiped away the remaining tears. Rei found herself leaning closer and closer to Usagi, who wasn't moving, when her mind screamed out to her, 'No! She's the Princess and you're only her bodyguard. She's destined to be with another.'

Rei stopped and step away from Usagi, "You should go and freshen up too. The bathroom should still be free."

Usagi merely nodded and grabbed her school uniform, which was hanging on the door, and left the room without saying another word.

Rei walked over to Usagi's desk, sat in the chair near it, and put her head down, "I'm so weak." Rei muttered almost inaudibly to herself. 'I must have scared her out of her mind, that's why she didn't run away.' Rei was too deep in thought to notice that there was a black cat sitting just outside the open window.

End Ch. 14

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing to really say about this chapter.


	15. Rei's Resolution

Chapter 15 – Rei's Resolution

* * *

"Can you explain to me what that was all about?" Luna asked as she jumped through the window and unto Usagi's unmade bed.

"Luna!" Rei exclaimed, but still managed to keep her voice relatively low despite being surprised by the black cat.

"Can you explain to me what that was all about?" Luna repeated.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rei stated.

"Don't play dumb!" Luna shouted, "I saw you. What were doing to Usagi?"

"Doing to her? I wasn't doing anything  _to_  her." Rei said, a little more defensively than she intended.

"What were you planning on doing then?" Luna questioned.

"Look, I don't know what you think you saw but the only thing I was doing was comforting her and being her friend." Rei said, trying very hard to not let her anger get the best of her. Usagi's family didn't know she was up in her room and she wasn't going let Usagi get in trouble because of her. So she needed to keep her voice down the best she could, for Usagi.

"A friend wouldn't do what I saw you doing." Luna muttered under her breath, but her statement didn't go unnoticed by Rei.

"What was that Luna? If you want to say something to me, say it!" Rei said challengingly.

"Your duties to her do not include kissing her." Luna stated.

Rei stared at Luna, 'She did see what I almost did.' Rei thought. She took a deep breath before responding, "You're right." Rei said simply and in a much calmer voice than before, which surprised Luna.

"You're not denying it?" Luna asked clearly surprise by Rei's response. 'Not that she really could deny it. I  _did_ see her.' Luna added mentally.

"It might be best for me to leave. Please tell Usagi I'm sorry for leaving without saying a proper goodbye." Rei said and walked around Luna to the bedroom window Luna had jumped through a short time ago.

Luna just stared at Rei; she hadn't expected her react like this. She expected her to deny it, she expected her to be angry, but she didn't expect her to virtually admit it and offer to leave before Usagi returned. Luna felt as if she should say something, but what, ' _You're right to be ashamed of your actions_.' Luna didn't want to risk Rei blowing her top, so she remained silent and watched Rei. Once Rei reached the window, she stuck one leg through it when the bedroom door opened.

Usagi stepped in and scanned the room for her raven-haired friend. When her gaze finally landed on the window her eyes widened at the sight of Rei making her way through the window. Usagi quickly shut the door so she wouldn't be heard, "Rei! What on Earth are you doing?" Usagi called and ran up to the other girl.

Rei stopped when she heard Usagi call to her, 'Usagi? Why couldn't you have come back a few minutes later? I don't want to face you; you'll make me want to stay.' She thought and could already feel her resolve to leave lessen. 'But I can't stay. I want to be around you, Usagi, but I can't trust myself around you. If I do something…I don't want to hurt you.' Rei swallowed down to clear her throat of a lump that had stubbornly formed there, "Gomen ne. Gomen nasi, but I think I should head back home. I want to let my grandfather know I'm okay. Besides, I don't want to cause you any trouble by staying here." Rei said without turning around.

"You aren't causing me any trouble." Usagi said quietly.

'Not yet maybe…' "I'm sorry, but it's for the best if I leave." Rei said and put her other leg through the window.

"But Rei…!" Usagi yelled and ran to grab her arm, but she only caught air. Rei was already through the window before Usagi could reach her.

From her perspective on Usagi's bed Luna could have sworn she saw what had to be tears in Rei's eyes as she went through the window.

* * *

From Usagi's roof, Rei leapt on to a near-by tree branch. Rei looked down to try to judge how high she was up now, but she found her vision was becoming blurry, 'Damn it! Stupid tears!' Rei thought and whipped her eyes of the wetness before jumping down from the branch to the ground. Landing in a crouch Rei winced and bite down on her lower lip, 'Damn it!' Rei cursed mentally. Rei held her left side, 'It's still sore.' She thought but forced herself to stand despite her throbbing side.

Rei looked down the street; it was still quiet since it was rather early. 'I don't want to go home yet. I just want to be alone to think.' Rei thought and ran down the street that would take in the opposite direction as her home.

* * *

Usagi turned around and ran to her bedroom door.

"Usagi wait! Where are you going?" Luna asked, causing Usagi to stop with her hand on the doorknob.

"Luna, when did you get here?" Usagi turned around and asked.

"I've been here the whole time." Luan said simply.

"The whole time? Then why didn't you do anything to stop Rei from leaving?" Usagi asked.

"I couldn't have done anything. She didn't even listen to you, remember?" Luna said.

"You could have at least helped me. Rei hasn't had enough time to heal yet." Usagi said, "She won't be able to do anything if she were to be attacked right now." Usagi added.

"Why would she be attacked right now? She hasn't transformed in to Sailor Mars or anything." Luna asked confusedly.

"It doesn't matter if she has transformed or not. She's been attacked before she's transformed before." Usagi said worriedly.

"What? Are you saying this enemy knows Mars' identity?" Luna asked.

"Yes, that's why I need to find her. It's too dangerous for her to be alone, especially now." Usagi said and hurriedly grabbed her book bag. Usagi glanced at the clock on her desk, 'Good, I've still got an hour before school starts. I'm sure I can find her and convince her to stop being so reckless.'

Luna watched Usagi, 'She's obviously worried about her. Maybe I shouldn't have reacted the way I did?' Luna thought. She lowered her head, 'I shouldn't be the one feeling guilty, but I still am. Maybe I should have gone about confronting Rei differently; she did seem to understand that what she was doing was wrong.'

"Do you want me to come with you? Two people searching are better than one." Luna offered.

Usagi looked at Luna and seemed to ponder what Luna had just said for a second before responding, "Yeah that would be a big help. If I can't find her before I need to go to school you can keep looking for her." Luna nodded in acknowledgement, "I'm going to let my parents know I'm leaving. Hopefully they won't be too shocked." Usagi said with a shrug and hurried to her door. "I'll meet you outside Luna."

Luna watched Usagi leave and heard her rapid steps down the stairs. 'If I find Rei what do I say? Sorry if I upset you, but you had no right to be doing what you were doing anyway.' Luna shook her head, 'Yeah that would go over real well.' Luna moved to the still opened window, 'I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.' Luna thought and jumped through the window.

* * *

"Mom, Dad, I'm going to school early today." Usagi announced as she greeted her family. Both her mother and father did a double take to make sure they weren't seeing things.

"Usagi, you up and ready go already. Is everything alright?" Ikuko asked. She had never seen her daughter up and ready to go this early before. Usagi usually had to race to school to avoid being late and often wasn't very successful. Ikuko wasn't upset, but Usagi did catch her off guard.

"Everything's fine. I just woke up early and decided to go to school early. I hope I won't give Mrs. H a heart attack." Usagi said and put on a smile for her parents.

"I hope this becomes a habit." Kenji said with a laugh.

"Maybe." Usagi said with a shrug and turned to leave when her mother spoke again.

"Do you want any thing to eat before you go?" Ikuko asked.

"No, I'm fine, but I really should be going." Usagi said and sped out of the kitchen.

"That's unlike her too; I wonder if something's going on that she's not telling us." Ikuko said once Usagi was gone.

"Maybe she's finally growing up." Kenji reasoned.

"Maybe…" Ikuko said, but somehow she knew that probably wasn't it.

* * *

Usagi reached the front door, slipped on her shoes, and was out the door in a few seconds. Her usually ritual required her to be out the door at an inhuman speed in order to avoid being tardy, so her swiftness a common occurrence. Once Usagi stepped outside, Luna met her on lawn.

"Luna, could you head to the shrine and see if Rei went there?" Usagi said.

"Sure, but where will you be going?" Luna asked.

"I'm going to look around here. If she changed her mind about going back home, she would have to be somewhere close by. Besides, we can cover more ground if we spilt up." Usagi explained. Luna looked a little surprised, but still nodded, "What?" Usagi asked upon seeing Luna's expression.

Luna shook her head, "Nothing, that was just the most logical thing I've heard you say in a while."

"What's  _that_  supposed to mean?" Usagi asked

"It's a compliment Usagi." Luna said and paused for a moment when she noticed Usagi didn't seem to see that she meant that as a positive. 'A change of subject might be in order.' Luna told herself. "Why don't we get going? Time is not on our side if you want to find Rei before school, Usagi."

"Oh yeah, I should hurry." Usagi said, her previous mood completely forgotten. "Contact me if you find her Luna?" Usagi said and sprinted in opposite direction of the shrine.

"Sure thing Usagi!" Luna called and took off down the street that leads to the shrine.

* * *

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The annoying sound of Ami's alarm clock echoed throughout her room. Ami's eyes slowly fluttered opened as the annoying sound of the object reached her ears. The first thing she saw was her keyboard and the glow of a computer screen. 'Did I fall asleep at my computer again?' Ami asked herself.

Ami sat up and looked at the computer, 'I see. I fell asleep typing again.' Ami turned off the monitor and walked the bathroom, which is across the hall from her room. She didn't have to worry about anyone reading what was on the screen, thankfully. Rather than writing her thoughts in a journal of paper, she would write her feelings in a diary on the computer. She felt it was safer because a journal could be lost and easily read by someone, but if she kept everything on her computer, she didn't have to worry about unwanted eyes reading the entries, especially the ones lately. Her mom let her have her privacy and she would never invade it by reading something so personal. In her digital diary, she could write things freely, things she was afraid to say aloud.

Ami brushed her teeth and rinsed out her mouth before looking at herself in the mirror. 'I don't feel tired, but I still look tired.' She thought and walked back to her room and got her school uniform before returning to take a shower. Once done Ami felt refreshed, but still looked tired, much to her annoyance. 'It's not like there's anyone that would look at me for my looks anyway. Besides, there's only one person I want to look at me like that anyway and she doesn't like girls that way so what does it really matter.' Ami thought dejectedly.

Once she was fully dressed, she headed back to her room to collect her school things. After Ami had successfully packed all the things she needed into her schoolbag, she went to the kitchen to make herself some lunch. She isn't the cook Makoto is, so she usually just made a couple sandwiches and she was set. It didn't really bother her that she always ate sandwiches for lunch because it gave her a free hand to do other things, like reading. It's a common sight to see Ami with a book in one hand and a sandwich in the other.

Books were her only friends for the longest time; that was until that fateful day she learned that she was a Sailor Senshi. Usagi was her first real friend, before her, the only people that would ever talk to her were people that wanted her to help them cheat. She was known around the school for her high academic standing and even though so many people knew her name, none took the time to try to become her friend, until Usagi entered the picture that is. First Usagi, then Rei, then Makoto…, and then Minako; she didn't met the outer senshi for sometime after that and even after all of them were reborn and together again the inners were always closest to each other. All of us are soldiers from a thousands of years ago on the moon, though Ami couldn't say that she actually remembered that time, the Silver Millennium.

One particular Sailor Senshi changed her life in a way she could have imaged. Sailor Jupiter, Kino Makoto, she was the one that changed her life in the most profound way, even though Makoto herself has been oblivious to it. Both Makoto and herself were branded outcasts by most of the student body, but for different reasons, Ami because of her studious nature and Makoto because of her unjustified reputation as a brawler. Makoto always seems to try to make herself more outwardly feminine because of that and so many times Ami wanted to say 'You're fine just the way you are and if other people can't appreciate that, they don't deserve you.', but of course she was always too shy to say it to her directly. 

Ami did try her best to tell her discreetly, like when all the girls went to that dance with Motoki's sister, Unazuki. Makoto waited patiently for someone to ask her to dance, but everyone was turned off by her size, so Ami took the biggest step she'd ever taken with her and asked her for a dance. Her heart soared when Makoto actually accepted and they danced. When they danced, it was one the happiest moments Ami had ever known. When their dance finished she was prepared to tell Makoto that she hoped they could be closer than just friends when her joy was crushed. Tigers-eye showed up and took Makoto's next dance before Ami could do anything and it was when she saw how happy Makoto was dancing with him that she knew that she would always fall short because she wasn't a man. Thinking back, Ami couldn't really remember when she started liking Makoto in more than platonic way, but she didn't think it mattered because she feels how she feels and whether it started last month or last year it didn't change her feelings, or Makoto's for that matter.

Ami glanced at her wristwatch to see how late it was and even though it was still a little early Ami decided to set out for school. There was no one to talk to in her house anyway and school was a sanctuary of sorts for her. Ami wrapped her sandwiches in plastic before putting them into a tin and then her schoolbag. Once she was all ready, she grabbed all her school stuff and headed out the door.

* * *

Makoto lethargically pulled herself out of bed. She sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments before standing. Makoto stretched and much to her surprise, she didn't feel any pain in her back. 'Thank Kami-sama for Senshi healing. And Ami too…I doubt my back would feel as good as it does without her help last night.' Makoto remembered the night before, but she still couldn't figure out why Ami had done all the things she did, but she was thankful nonetheless.

Makoto walked over to her dresser and picked out her school uniform for the day before heading into the bathroom. She took a quick shower and put on clean bandages as Ami had instructed. When she finished applying the bandages, she the got dressed, and then brushing her teeth. Makoto brushed her hair and put it up in her trademark ponytail. After she finished with everything she needed to do in the bathroom, she went the kitchen to prepare her lunch for that day.

Makoto opened her fridge and scanned the contents to see what she could make. She spotted a package of roast beef and thought of Ami and smiled, 'She's probably making sandwiches for herself right now.' Then a thought struck her, 'Why don't I make a lunch for the two of us, as thanks for last night. I'm sure she must get tired of just eating sandwiches all the time.' Makoto gave herself nod of approval and got to work.

In no time at all Makoto had successfully whipped up two meals with some to spare just in case Usagi wanted any, which was likely. 'I hope Ami will like this.' Makoto thought as she sealed the food in boxes and placed them in her book bag. Makoto took a quick look at the wall clock in the kitchen, 'I may as well leave. If I get there early enough I could probably make sure Ami knows how thankful I am for what she did.' Makoto thought before grabbing her stuff and headed out the door.

* * *

Artemis watched Minako brush her hair, 'She hasn't been acting like her normal self.' Artemis thought. Minako had come home last night and hardly said anything. The only thing she told Artemis was that youma attacked the hospital and that everyone had made it out of there all right.

"Are you all right Minako? You've barely said anything since you got back last night." Artemis asked worriedly.

"Of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Minako said cheerfully.

"You can't lie to me Minako. I've known you long enough to see when something is wrong, so don't lie to me." Artemis said seriously.

Minako finally finished brushing her hair, put her brush down, and stood up, "I should really be going." Minako said and grabbed her book bag and walked past Artemis.

"Minako, are you just going to avoid my question?" Artemis asked, causing Minako to stop.

"Artemis, you know me well enough to know that if I don't want to tell you something, I'm not going to. So please, just leave it at that." Minako said. Artemis opened his mouth as though he were going to say something, but shut it before saying a word. Minako took the silence as him knowing that she wasn't going to say anything no matter what he said. It's not as if she didn't was to tell him, but there are some things that even her guardian doesn't need to know.

'I'm sorry Artemis, I can't tell you until everything plays out' Minako thought sadly to herself and picked up her schoolbag and left the room leaving Artemis even more worried about his charge's behavior.

* * *

'What the hell am I doing?' Rei asked herself as she walked. She didn't really have any destination in mind; all she wanted was to be alone. No, that was only partially true; she just needed to distance herself from Usagi. 'I can't think straight when I'm around her, but I don't want to be away from her either.'

She felt like screaming, or punching something, or burning something. 'Am I doomed to feel like this forever? Kami knows we have an eternity together.' Rei shook her head and corrected herself, 'No, I have an eternity to be with her, but not  _with her_.' Rei hung her head at the thought, 'Isn't that the problem though?'

Rei stared at the ground as she continued walking. She saw a pebble on the ground and kicked it in frustration. The rock skipped across the ground and collided with a metal sign, causing Rei to look up and see what the rock hit. Rei's eyes scanned the sign, 'Juuban Central Park' it read. 'Maybe I can release some of my frustrations' Rei thought and ran into the park. She ran until she reached a rather secluded spot, that was clear of trees and people, not that there were many people that early they anyway.

"Mars Crystal Power, Makeup!"

Rei relished the feeling she got as the fires of Mars surrounded her. She always felt more comfortable and confident when she transformed into Sailor Mars. As Sailor Mars, she could protect Usagi and even though protecting her usually meant she got hurt in the process, that didn't really matter to her. She didn't have to make mean comments to her like when they're just Usagi and Rei to hide her feelings, but she still couldn't help teasing her a little anyway. More often than not, she could just watch Sailor Moon in awe.

"If I had just a small portion of the strength Sailor Moon has shown, I wouldn't be in this position." Mars told herself bitterly. Mars looked up into the cloudless sky raised her hands above her head and concentrated on invoking her powers.

"Mars…Flame…Sniper!"

Mars called forth her attack; a large arrow of fire flew out of her hand and sailed into the sky. The arrow left a tunnel of flames in its wake as it flew into the sky. Mars watched the flames for as long as she could before falling to her knees.

* * *

Minako walked slowly down the familiar street to her school. She didn't need to hurry because she had left earlier than usual and she didn't usually have trouble getting to school on time. Minako was lost in her own thoughts when out of the corner of her eye she saw flames sailing into the sky. Only one person could do that, 'Rei…' Minako thought and ran to the park where she saw the flames had originated. 'I thought she was with Usagi?' Minako thought as she ran through the park to find her friend. Finally, she reached a spot that was clear of foliage and saw a girl with dark hair wearing a red and white fuku on her knees.

"Rei…?" Minako asked and ran up to the girl. Minako knelt down next to her friend and looked at face to see if anything was wrong. Rei's eyes were shut and she was breathing heavier than normal. Minako surmised what she had done before she even reached her, the column of fire was a dead give away. Minako shook her head and the raven-haired girl, "You're not in any condition to use that much power." One thing Minako knew for sure was that the size the attack she saw took a lot of power to make and Rei was just likely worn out from the toll it took to do that, or at least that's what Minako hoped was the case.

Rei finally realized someone was with her and looked over the presence next to her. She gave her blonde friend a small smile, "You're right Minako. I-I don't think I can keep this inside forever." Rei said in between breaths.

"Shh…De-transform and let's sit down and talk." Minako said and helped Rei to her feet. Rei smiled her thanks and undid her transformation. When she started to walk to the near-by bench she stumbled a little, but Minako caught her. Rei was a lot more tired than she expected herself to be, 'I must have used a little too much power.' Rei thought.

Minako helped Rei sit on the bench before sitting down next to her, "What happened?"

Rei leaned back and looked up the sky, "I almost kissed her."

"Did you tell her how you feel?" Minako asked.

"No, but I almost kissed her. I think I have to tell her. I can't continue like this." Rei said.

"I told you this isn't something you can keep bottled up inside. If it helps any, I know Usagi loves you. I don't know if it's in the same way you love her, but she has an unimaginable abundance of love for people. I don't know how she does it sometimes." Minako said.

"I really don't know what I would do if I didn't have you to talk to." Rei said as a small smile formed on her face.

"So, you're going to tell her now, right?" Minako asked.

"Yeah, I'll tell her. How I will, I'm not sure, but I realize now that I need to tell Usagi." Rei said resolutely.

Minako smiled brightly at Rei and wrapped her arms around the surprised miko. Rei hesitantly hugged her blonde friend back. "Everything will work out just fine!" Minako assured her. Minako moved her lips close to Rei's ear and in a soft whisper she added, "Ya know Usagi's a lucky girl to have caught your heart."

Rei pulled herself away from Minako so she could look in her ocean blue eyes, "Minako…"

"I know Rei." Minako said and smiled that same bright smile from a few moments before. Minako stood up and extended her hand to Rei, "Come on, you don't want to sit on this bench all day do you?"

Rei shook her head took Minako's hand, "Thanks for listening to me."

* * *

'Where could she be?' Usagi thought to herself as she continued scanning the streets for her missing friend. Usagi quickly glanced at her watch, thirty minutes had past since her search began and she still hadn't found Rei. 'Could she really have gone back home like she said?' Usagi thought and shook her head slightly at her own question. 'No, Rei didn't go back home.' Usagi didn't know why but somehow she knew that Rei hadn't gone home. 'I need to trust my instincts and my instincts are telling me she didn't go to the shrine.' Usagi thought when suddenly she felt a huge surge of power. Usagi looked in the direction she knew it was coming from and saw a column of fire sailing into the morning sky. "Rei…" Usagi said quietly to herself and ran toward the origin of the flames.

Usagi soon found herself at the entrance to Juuban Central Park, 'So this is where she went.' Usagi hurriedly entered the park and ran to where she remembered the flames had coming from. Finally, Usagi saw a clearing in the trees with a bench. Usagi could see someone on with dark hair sitting, just when Usagi was about to call to the girl she noticed she wasn't alone. Usagi knew that hairstyle from anywhere, 'That's Minako. What's she doing with Rei?' Usagi thought and moved closer, but more quietly this time. Soon she could hear the two girls talking and even though she knew she shouldn't, but she darted behind a large tree to listen to what the girls were discussing.

"So, you're going to tell her, right?"

Usagi heard Minako say, 'Tell her? Her, who?' Any thoughts of leaving fled Usagi, since her curiosity was peaked now and there wasn't anyway she could stop listening. Even though Usagi knew that, she would likely be scolded or worst for eavesdropping on a conversation that didn't involve her; she still couldn't pry herself away from her hiding spot. When Rei finally spoke up, Usagi turned her attention back to the duo.

"Yeah, I'll tell her. How I will, I'm not sure, but I realize now that I need to tell Usagi."

Usagi turned away from the two girls and leaned back into the tree, 'Me? What would Rei have to tell me? I don't understand.' Usagi thought but failed to come up with any answers. Before any more questions could pop into Usagi's head, Minako spoke again.

"Everything will work out just fine!"

Usagi turned back toward Minako and Rei to see them hugging, 'I knew it was a bad idea to eavesdrop.' Usagi thought and quickly, but stealthily left her hiding spot and headed towards the park's exit. 'Maybe they really are involved and Rei just wanted to ask Minako if it was ok to tell me.' Usagi thought as reached the park's exit. 'Is that what you want to tell me Rei?' Usagi asked herself.

End Ch. 15

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as long as some recent chapters, but still important nonetheless.


	16. Premonition of Death? The Price to Defy Destiny

Chapter 16 – Premonition of Death? The Price to Defy Destiny

* * *

Saburo walked through the long hall that would lead him to his leader, the one who continually asked him to do such ridiculous tasks. Tasks like observing the Sailor Senshi from afar, but never doing anything. Even his most recent task irritated him; follow one lone solider, 'The senshi of Pluto I believe I was told she was.' It was all so pointless; the woman didn't seem to have done anything. In fact, she seemed to be following another, a tall human male with black hair and blue eyes. There were times when the woman he was told to watch would just disappear and reappear in a different place, 'An annoying woman, that Senshi of Pluto.' Nevertheless, Saburo did as he was told, for he knew the consequences would be worse if he were to lose track of her. So, once Pluto returned to Japan he was told to inform her of it and that was exactly what he was doing.

'What the hell is it with these maze-like halls? It would probably pleasure her if I were to become lost down one of these corridors.' Saburo thought as he finally turned down the last hall that would lead him to her chambers. Something caught his eye as he neared the room, outside the entrance someone was 'on display' for anyone to see. 'I know who that is…' "Kenjiro!" Saburo shouted and ran up to the restrained youma.

"I wouldn't touch him." Ryuji warned as he walked up behind Saburo.

"What?" Saburo exclaimed and turned to face Ryuji.

"This is his punishment." Ryuji explained.

"Punishment? For what?" Saburo yelled angrily.

"For disobeying her." Ryuji replied simply, there was no need to explain exactly whom he was talking about, Saburo knew.

"What did he not follow orders blindly like you?" Saburo asked.

"I merely do what I am told to do. I'm not a hot headed fool like you or your brothers." Ryuji said.

"That's only because my bothers and I have minds of our own!" Saburo said heatedly. Ryuji's red eyes darkened somewhat and he gripped his weapon tighter. "What, no come back?" Saburo taunted.

"You want a come back?" Ryuji asked threateningly.

Ryuji quickly raised his halberd and jabbed Saburo in his stomach with the pole end of the weapon. Saburo fell to his knees and tried to regain his breath from the blow. Ryuji spun the weapon above his head and held the blade in front of Saburo's face, "I should kill you right now. You are nothing but a fool. Do you think your life is held in great esteem? If I wish to, I could squash you like the insect you are. This blade hasn't tasted blood in a long time and I'm sure it thrusts for it."

Ryuji positioned the blade over Saburo's head, "Shinidoki." Ryuji said and brought the blade down.

' _Stop_.'

Ryuji halted the blade just before it connected with Saburo's head. ' _Why?_ ' Ryuji asked the voice.

' _Don't question me and cool your temper! I will hear his report. So allow him entrance.'_

' _As you wish._ ' Ryuji responded and brought his halberd back to his side. "She wishes to hear your report." Ryuji said and opened the large double doors for Saburo, who was still kneeling on the ground. Ryuji waited at the door for Saburo to pull himself to his feet. Ryuji watch him with disinterest, 'Weakling.' He thought as Saburo finally reached the door. "I would quicken that pace, if you don't want to upset her by making her wait." Ryuji said smugly.

Saburo gave Ryuji a cold stare as he entered the room. Saburo thought about punching him in his cocky face, but thought better of it and continued inside. Ryuji shut the door loudly once Saburo made it inside.

"You must excuse Ryuji, he's eager for a fight." A voice said from the other end of the room. Saburo didn't say anything, but continued approaching the speaker. "Pluto has returned to Japan hasn't she?"

"Yes." Saburo said simply.

"Tell me exactly what she did as you observed her." She said and leaned forward, awaiting Saburo's report. Saburo relayed everything he saw Pluto doing from her arrival to her subsequent search for a dark haired man to her then following him and finally to her going to the hotel the man had left earlier. She went inside and handed some man behind a desk something before leaving the building. She waited for sometime until that, dark haired man returned and when he did, she watched what occurred inside the building. After a short time, the dark haired man emerged from the building with a suitcase and it was then that Pluto disappeared and arrived back in Tokyo. Saburo decided to leave out the times when he almost lost her because she would disappear and reappear somewhere else.

"This dark hair man…give me a better description of him." She ordered. 'Could he be…?'

"The human male was tall, had short black hair, and blue eyes." Saburo described.

"A name, did you hear him called anything?" She asked.

Saburo thought back, 'Is this insignificant human  _that_  important?' "No. What is so important about this human?"

"That is not your concern." She said sternly. 'It must be him. There is no other person she would need to visit; everyone else is here. You may have just made this even easier for me, Pluto.' She thought and smiled to herself.

"Has something pleased you?" Saburo asked.

"I have a task I need you to perform." The woman cloaked in black said.

"What?" Saburo asked curiously, 'She probably wants me to watch someone again.'

"How would you like to finally get involved in the action? How would you like to get revenge for Goro and the state Kenjiro is in right now?" She asked.

"Are you saying you wish for me to fight?" Saburo asked.

"If you don't wish to fight I can always turn to someone else. I know Ryuji would be more than willing…" She said.

"No, I will fight. Who is the target?" Saburo asked.

It was hard to see, but Saburo could have sworn he saw an evil smile cross her features. It was gone too quickly for him to be sure though. "Sailor Mars. Can you kill her?"

"Yes." Saburo responded.

"Can you kill her even if she is with the Moon Princess? Can you kill both of them?" She asked.

"Yes." Saburo responded again.

"I'm glad to hear that because that is the task I give you now; kill Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon." She ordered. Saburo nodded and turned to leave, but was spoken to again, "I don't expect you to come back without the heads of two Sailor Senshi." Saburo nodded again without turning around this time.

Saburo pushed the large doors open and found Ryuji in his faithful spot next to the doors. He couldn't help but a comment to guard, "I guess you'll have to wait even longer before you get to fight the Sailor Senshi. It's my turn now." Saburo said cockily but Ryuji remained unemotional. Ryuji watched Saburo walk off slowly, he seemed to be taking his time as he walked away.

Once the youma had finally gone, Ryuji stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Ryuji walked across the room with a sinister smile on his face. The seated woman noticed look on Ryuji's face and spoke, "You needn't be so pleased. Saburo's time of usefulness is over."

"So you're sending on a do or die mission?" Ryuji asked.

She smiled evilly, "Ryuji, observe the battle, but only observe. I wish for you to be my eyes and ears. I suspect something interesting will happen tonight. Return once the outcome has been decided."

"As you wish." Ryuji said and bowed before turning around heading out of the room.

The slam of the doors echoed through out the room, signifying that she was alone once again. A wide smile spread across her face as she thought of this new turn of events. 'Thank you Pluto. You may have just given my key the push in the right direction.' She thought and smiled even wider. 'Perhaps I shall thank you in person; it has been such a long time…'

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Minako asked as she and Rei stopped at the exit to Juuban Central Park.

Rei nodded, "Yeah, I think I can walk myself home." Rei turned toward the street that would lead her to the shrine. Before she could take a step in that direction, Minako started speaking again.

"Are you sure? I could…" Minako started but Rei surprised her by turning around and talking over her.

"Minako, your school starts soon." Rei said quietly. Rei saw a bit of disappointment on her face and frowned a little too. Rei didn't want this to be difficult, because she could understand where Minako was coming from, but that didn't seem to make it any easier. In fact, that only seemed to make it even harder for Rei. "Minako, I want to stay as close to you as I am right now, but you know I can't see you as anything more than a friend. I would only end up hurting you and I don't want to do that. I want to have you with me as the friend you've always been."

Minako felt her chest tighten at Rei's words, but she did her best to keep it from showing outwardly. "I know that Rei. I couldn't ask you to do that. I know how much you…you love her." Her voice faltering a bit at the end, despite the great effort she took to sound calm.

Rei expression became even more downcast at hearing Minako's poor attempt at trying to sound unconcerned. Minako turned her gaze to the ground since she couldn't hold Rei's sorrowful stare any longer, she failed to do the one thing she could do for Rei at the time, keep her composure. Minako jumped a little when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.

"You don't have to put up a front for me, Minako." Rei said and Minako gave her surprised look. "I'm physic remember. I can't sense emotions as well as you, but I can sense some feelings" Rei explained and paused for a few seconds, "But even if I wasn't, I know probably better than anyone how you're feeling. I'm hopelessly in love with someone who's in love with someone else too. You're stronger than me though, because at least you had the courage to say something."

"I'm not strong." Minako denied flatly.

"You are. You've encouraged to me talk about how I'm feeling. You've even encouraged me to tell Usagi how I feel. All the while, you must have been hurting like I've been. So you see…you are strong. If I didn't have you to confide in, I think I would have gone mad by now." Rei said and laughed dryly.

"I couldn't have done  _that_  much." Minako said.

"No, you have. Your strength has given me the courage to do what I have to do; I'm thankful to you. I hope you don't think poorly of me, but could I ask you to do something for me?" Rei asked

"I could never think poorly of you." Minako said honestly, causing Rei to smile a bit.

"Don't hold back on my account. If there's ever a time you need to talk, I'll listen. I want to help you, as you've helped me. I may not be able to give you what you want, but I'll be the best, best friend I can be. Please, I don't want our friendship to suffer because of this." Rei said almost pleadingly.

Minako looked in Rei's eyes, eyes that held her most sincere wish for them. It was a different wish than Minako wanted, but she could see Rei meant it with all her heart and how could she deny her such a heartfelt wish. If friendship was the most Rei could offer her, she would have to accept that. Deep down Minako knew Rei would tell her this. Sure, there was a small hope inside her too. A hope that Rei would feel the same way about her and run into her arms and kiss her, but this wasn't one of those sappy romance movies that always made Minako cry at the end. This was reality and in reality Rei couldn't feel that way about her, she was too in love with someone else. At this moment, Minako felt that small hope fade out and die. It hurt more than she imagined it would, but even with her hope gone, she didn't feel her feelings leave, 'I don't imagine they will.' Minako thought sadly, but also with a bit of acceptance. A lone tear escaped Minako's eye and trailed down her cheek until Rei caught it and wiped it away.

"I don't want it to either. I don't think I could bear it if that were to happen." Minako said softly.

"I'm glad." Rei said and gave Minako a quick hug. "You really should be heading to school now or you really will be late."

"Yeah. You'll let me know if I can do anything more for you, right?" Minako asked.

"You've already done more than enough for me." Rei said honestly. "Now, quit hanging around here and go to school already!" Rei said lightheartedly.

Minako nodded her head, "Ok." Minako said and turned leave, but stopped when a thought struck her, "Do you want me to say anything to Usagi?"

Rei thought for a second before shaking her head, "No, I don't want her to know I lied to her." Minako gave a confused looked, so Rei decided to elaborate, "I told her I was going home, but I didn't."

"Oh, alright then. Will you tell me how it goes?" Minako asked.

"Yeah, I think I'll be going home to consult the Sacred Fire. Maybe it will give me some kind of advice on a way to go about telling her." Rei said hopefully.

"Just do what you feel is right and you'll be fine." Minako said reassuringly.

"Thanks." Rei said.

"I'll see you later than?" Minako said, turning a little away from Rei.

"Yeah later." Rei said and turned in the opposite direction. Minako nodded her head slightly before each girl went their separate ways.

* * *

Makoto walked into the schoolyard and quickly scanned the grounds for any sign of her friend. She smiled a little when her gaze fell on to a sakura tree, because sitting underneath it was Ami, a book in one hand and a sandwich in the other. Makoto watched her and debated whether she should disturb her. Ami looked so content just sitting there and reading. Makoto couldn't understand how she could just spend so much time lost in the worlds created by the authors. She liked to read too, but she was nowhere near the aficionado her blue haired friend was. 'I don't imagine many people are though.' Finally she made up her mind, 'I want to thank her for last night, the best way I can.' Makoto thought and finally approached the still unsuspecting girl.

Since Ami still seemed none the wiser, Makoto thought, it would be fun to surprise her. Instead of walking straight up to her Makoto took a different route and walked up behind her. Once Makoto positioned herself behind her, she looked over her shoulder to look at what she was reading. "Reading anything interesting?" Makoto questioned loudly.

Ami felt flustered and fumbled with her book. She turned her head to see who snuck up on her. Ami felt her cheeks become warm, she was nose to nose with, "Ma-Makoto?"

Makoto pulled back a little. She felt a little guilty, 'I didn't mean to scare her that much, I just wanted to see blush. She looks so damn cute when does.'

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Makoto said apologized.

Ami shook her head slightly, "It's alright. I didn't expect anyone to talk to me. In fact, why are you here so early any way?" Ami asked.

"Oh right. I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me last night." Makoto said.

"You don't need to thank me. Being able to help you is thanks enough." Ami said and looked away shyly.

"But I want to and I want to thank you in a different way than just in words." Makoto said.

"In a different way?" Ami repeated.

"Yeah, by doing this." Makoto said and sat down next to Ami.

Ami watched her curiously, 'What is she doing?' Ami asked herself. When she realized Makoto was moving closer to her, her mind was bombarded by more questions, 'Is she going to…? Or am I just hoping for too much?' Ami's eyes widen slightly when she realized Makoto's lips were only a few inches away. Ami felt like pushing herself forward a little, 'That's all it would take…' but she couldn't seem to do anything under the circumstances. Then suddenly Ami felt Makoto take her hand and hold it up.

"Don't you ever get tired of just eating these all the time?" Makoto asked.

Ami looked over to her hand, where she held a partially eaten sandwich. Ami blinked a few times, 'That's all she was doing?' She was so sure it was something else, 'I'm thinking too much with heart, instead of my brain.' Ami noticed Makoto was giving her a curious look, 'Shoot, I'd better say something.'

"Wh-What?" Ami said unintelligibly. Ami felt like crawling into a hole, 'Real intelligent,' Ami chastised herself.

Makoto gave her funny look, "The sandwiches, Ami. Don't you ever get tired of just eating sandwiches? Are you alright Ami?"

"Yeah, sorry I just spaced out a little bit." Ami replied.

"Are you sure? That's not like you, Ames." Makoto said, forgetting about what she was planning.

Ami smiled when she heard the name Makoto called her. She felt special because she was the only one that Makoto called a name that was unique only to her. She was happy that they were close enough to do that. Haruka called Michiru, Michi. Michiru called Haruka, Ruka. Ami even heard Rei call Usagi, Usa a few times.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm just a little out of it this morning, but I'm fine, Mako-chan." Ami said.

Makoto released Ami's hand and felt her forehead, "You sure?" Makoto asked, still concerned. Ami could feel her skin warm under Makoto touch, "You feel a little warm." Makoto noted.

Ami reached up and took Makoto's hand in her own. "I'm fine." Ami said sincerely.

"Alright, but don't worry me like that." Makoto said, sounding relieved.

"You were worried?" Ami asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be concerned about my best friend?" Makoto said happily, as a wide smile crossed her lips.

Ami did her best to smile too after listening to what Makoto just said, but failed miserably. Ami wasn't the kind of person that failed at anything she did and it wasn't from lack of trying that she failed here, 'Maybe from trying too hard.' Ami thought and saw Makoto giving her a questioning look. Ami decided to give it another shot, but had about as much success this time as she had the last time, 'I can't.'

Makoto's smile fell when she was Ami's less than gleeful expression. 'She looks almost depressed, but what did I say?' Makoto thought

"Ami, what did I…?" Makoto started to say when two streaks of blonde caught her eye past Ami's shoulder. "Hey look its Usagi and she's early for once." Makoto said and pointed toward their blonde friend.

Glad for a distraction, Ami looked where Makoto was pointing and asked, "Usagi?" Sure enough, Ami could see Usagi walking into the schoolyard. As strange of an occurrence it was to see Makoto there so early, it was even stranger to see Usagi at school on time let alone early. Ami looked at her watch, 'Ten minutes till the first bell.' Ami put the watch to her ear, 'It's still working.' Ami thought and looked back to Usagi. 'She looks like she's thinking about something.'

"I'll call her over." Makoto said and Ami nodded, "Hey, Usagi over here!"

Usagi looked a little startled at someone interrupting her thoughts, but she quickly searched for who called her. Her eyes soon fixed on Makoto, who was waving her over. Makoto sat next to Ami under a near-by tree. 'Should I? I don't want to intrude on them if they're having a conversation.'

"Come on Usagi-chan! We've still got some time before school starts." Makoto called and continued waving her over, 'Is there some reason she's so hesitant?'

Finally, Usagi started to make her way to the two girls and sat down across from her friends. "Hi guys."

"Hi Usagi, are you alright? I mean it's awfully early for you isn't it?" Makoto asked.

"I'm fine. Rei just woke me up so early." Usagi said and yawned to reiterate her point. Sure, there were other things on her mind, but she didn't want to trouble her other friends with such matters.

"Rei?" Ami and Makoto asked in unison and quite loudly too.

"Oh, I forgot. The two of you left before I could tell you, Rei stayed with me last night. So, needless to say I didn't get as much sleep as I usually do. I had to make sure she was comfortable before I could fall asleep." Usagi explained.

"I thought you were just going to take her back to the jinja." Ami said thoughtfully.

"Well I did think about doing that, but the jinja was attacked once and I have no reason to think our enemy will stop with just that one attack. I don't think the jinja is safe for her right now, and there were other factors too. I didn't want to explain why we brought her back home to her grandfather or explain why she was in the state she was in last night." Usagi said.

"That's understandable, I guess. I called my mom last night and let her everyone fine after the fireworks last night. I told her Rei left her room for a walk around the halls before the 'bomb went off.' She told me the police investigated it and concluded the explosion was caused by a bomb. She told me she would appreciate someone telling her in person, she was ready to start calling all of our homes." Ami said.

"Thanks for doing that Ami." Usagi said gratefully.

"So where is Rei now?" Makoto asked.

"Now…" Usagi thought back to the scene she witnessed in the park, "Now…I'm not sure. I think she might have went back home." She lied.

"But you said she was with you, but you don't know where she is now?" Makoto asked.

"Just before I left for school she left and told me she was going home. I don't know if I did something, but she was in a hurry to leave. I even searched for her before coming here, but I couldn't find her." Usagi lied again.

"Jeez, why would she be so reckless?" Makoto said, asking no one in particular.

"I'm sure Rei wouldn't willingly put herself into danger, she can be hot-headed at times she's usually not one to be reckless. Doing that can put her in unnecessary danger." Ami said worriedly.

"I know. That's why I went looking for her. I still have Luna looking for her now, in fact. I don't feel that she's any immediate danger though." Usagi said.

"Why's that?" Ami asked curiously.

"Just a feeling." Usagi said vaguely.

"A feeling?" Makoto asked, but before anything more could be said the school bell echoed through the school grounds.

"Looks like it's time to head to class already. We can talk more at lunch." Ami said and stood up, dusting off some blades of grass that stuck to her skirt.

"Yeah, I'll see you guys at lunch." Usagi said and rushed off ahead of her two friends.

Makoto turned to Ami, "Do you think there's more going on then she's telling us?"

"Yeah, I don't know what though." Ami responded and walked into the building beside Makoto.

"Has Minako shown up yet? I don't think I've seen her." Makoto asked.

"Not that I'm aware. It's unusual that she would be running later than Usagi, you don't think she's sick or anything?" Ami asked.

"Nah, she probably just over slept." Makoto said and stopped before two intersecting halls. "We'll talk at lunch, right?"

Ami nodded her head, "Yeah."

Makoto smiled, "Good, I'll see you then." She said before walking down the hall to the left. Ami smiled too and silently thanked Kami-sama for Usagi showing up when she did, before turned down the same hallway as Makoto and headed to her first class.

* * *

Rei looked up the steps to her home, 'It's good to be home again.' Rei thought and started her ascent. Sure she would have been perfectly content to stay at Usagi's house, but she didn't want to risk a replay of this morning. 'I want to tell her in a way that is meaningful, not by a slip of the tongue or bad gesture. In order to figure out what that right way is, I just need to put a little distance between me and her.'

Rei was too deep in thought to notice a small black cat sitting in one of the many trees that lined the stairs. 'So she did go back home. Maybe Usagi was just over thinking things.' Luna thought and leapt from the tree. 'It probably isn't the best idea for me to speak with her. I'll just let Usagi know that she did make it back home.' Luna thought and hurriedly left the jinja, still unnoticed by the miko.

Once Rei was nearly at the top of the steps, she spotted Yuuichirou dutifully sweeping by the entrance of the main jinja. Rei didn't say anything to alert Yuuichirou of her presence, she merely continued toward the shrine entrance. 'I just want to meditate, I'm sure I'll feel better after I do that.'

Yuuichirou finally around to sweep the next step, only to drop his broom and come face to face with the raven haired miko of the shrine. "R-Rei-san? I-I thought you weren't released yet?"

Rei leaned down, picked up the broom, and handed it back to Yuuichirou, "I couldn't stay there any longer. Where's Jii-chan?" Rei asked and scanned the grounds for the old man.

"I-I last saw him by the omikuji tree." Yuuichirou said, still a little shocked by the miko's presence.

"Alright, I'm going to speak with him and let him know I am indeed out of the hospital." Rei said and headed to the omikuji tree. As Rei past Yuuichirou he opened his mouth as if he was going to say something else, but Rei just continued past him, not even noticing Yuuichirou had something more to say. Yuuichirou closed his mouth and turned his eyes to the ground and just stared there for a few moments before resuming the sweeping again.

As Rei approached the tree she could see the short old man looking up at the tree as the paper-covered branches blew in the wind gently. Rei walked up quietly behind her grandfather and stood there for a few seconds before speaking, "I hope there was a good fortune for today."

"R-Rei? What are you doing here? You didn't leave without a doctor's consent, did you?" Grandpa Hino asked.

"It wasn't like that Jii-chan." Rei explained.

"Then the doctors said it was ok for you to leave?" He asked.

"Not exactly." Rei said guiltily.

"Rei! I thought you agreed that you would listen to and do what the doctors told you to do." Grandpa Hino said disapprovingly.

"I did, but I got a bad feeling about the place that told me I had to leave. I trust my instincts Jii-chan and my instincts told not to stay there. I'll go see Ami's mom tomorrow if it will make you feel better." Rei said. This was the reason she was so leery about coming home, she knew she would have to explain to her grandfather why she left the hospital.

"It would make me feel better." He said with a sigh of relief, "I'm just worry about you, Rei, but you know I trust your judgment."

"Thanks Jii-chan." Rei said and turned to enter the main shrine.

"Rei." Grandpa Hino called, causing Rei to turn back to the old man, "You should rest today. I've already delegated Yuuichirou with his duties for today so we don't need you to overexert yourself by working too hard. So you just rest today, we can take care of the jinja by ourselves today."

"Thanks Jii-chan." Rei said and continued inside.

Once his granddaughter was inside he looked at the fortune he held in his hand again, ' _Today holds bittersweet reunions_.' the thin piece of paper read. The old priest folded the paper and tied it to a low branch before walking away from the tree to speak with Yuuichirou.

* * *

Usagi walked out the school building and headed to her favorite spot to eat her lunch. It was a bench positioned perfectly under a sakura tree. The tree offered enough protection from the sun on warm days, but also let in enough rays to light up the spot. Usagi placed her bentou on the bench and looked around the schoolyard to see most of her classmates already digging in their lunches. Usagi spotted two of her friends sitting with each other; Makoto and Ami asked if she wanted to sit with them but Usagi declined. She just wanted to sit alone and think. Usagi smiled as she watched the two girls share the bentou Makoto had prepared, 'Together like that they almost look like…'

"Usagi?" A familiar voice called.

Usagi turned to her left to see who she knew called her name, "Minako?"

"Can I sit with you?" Minako asked.

"Sure." Usagi said and moved her bentou to her lap. Minako arrived ten minutes late to class; she and Usagi have the same first class. Minako said she was sorry, but had over slept; Usagi knew that wasn't the truth, not she intended to rat out her friend. She felt like she was in an awkward position though. She wanted to talk to Minako like they always did in class, but the only thing on her mind was what Rei wanted to tell her and since Minako knew she wanted to ask her, but that would mean admitting to eavesdropping. And then Minako wasn't making much of an effort to talk with her either, they only exchanged hellos and Minako sat in her seat near to her. Usagi turned to Minako and opened her mouth to speak, but Minako surprised her by talking first.

"Usagi, do you think there is someone out there for all of us?" Minako asked quietly and paused to look through the leaves to a nearly cloudless sky.

"Minako, what…?" Usagi started to asked, but Minako spoke over her.

"Or are we doomed to live lonely lives for all eternity?" Minako asked sadly.

Usagi stared at Minako for a few moments, unsure of what to say. She hadn't seen her friend this unsure about herself before, not about love at least. She always seemed to have the answers when it came to matters of the heart, but now the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love was asking her for advice. Her love life was by no means perfect at the moment, a few months ago maybe but not now. After a few more moments of thought she spoke, "I think there is someone out there for everyone, you included. Maybe you just haven't found the one that completes you?"

Minako shook her head, "What if that person already loves someone else?"

'But I thought…? Why do I get the feeling that there is some hidden message to what you're saying, but what and who are you talking about?' Usagi thought, but refrained from actually asking because if Minako wasn't saying who she must have a reason. Usagi startled Minako a little by putting her arm around her shoulders, "Then maybe that is not the right person for you, but you're strong, one of the strongest people I know and I've never known you to get like this. Have you at least told this person?" Usagi asked.

'Strong, that's the same thing Rei said.' "Yeah." Minako answered simply.

"And what did that person say?" Usagi asked cautiously. She didn't want to make Minako feel any worse but it might help her to talk about it too.

"That they only wanted to be friends." Minako replied.

"And what does your heart tell you?" Usagi asked.

"That if that is all that person can offer, then I can accept that. It just makes me think I won't have anyone in my life that will love me as I love them, it's a lonely feeling you know?" Minako said sadly.

Usagi nodded her head, "You know everyone is here for you, so you don't have to feel lonely. I just know that you will find someone, someday, and you shouldn't think any other way either."

"Thanks Usagi, I glad I talked with you. Just don't tell anyone about this, it'll ruin my reputation." Minako said and smiled warmly.

"I promise not to. I'm happy that you felt you could come to me and talk about this." Usagi said and smiled too before speaking again, "If only we could something about them." Usagi joked and looked in Ami and Makoto's direction.

"You know?" Minako asked quickly.

"It's not too hard to see." Usagi said and notice Minako giving her a curious look, "I'm not as dense as everyone thinks I am. I can see these things too." Usagi said before leaning next to Minako's ear to whisper something, "Maybe we can play matchmaker?" Usagi asked impishly, causing Minako to laugh.

"Maybe, they are cute together." Minako said once her laughter died down. 'If she can see how they feel, maybe she already knows or has at least a suspicion about Rei. That might make it even easier for her then.' Minako thought hopefully, for Rei's sake at least.

The two girls continued discussing how they could get their two, other friends together until the bell rang to signal the end of the lunch period, "Aw man, I talked so much I didn't even eat!" Usagi exclaimed and quickly opened her bentou to eat as much as she could before she had to go back to class.

"Don't eat too fast, you'll get sick." Minako commented as she watched Usagi eat her food at an amazing pace.

"But…I'm…hungry." Usagi protested between bites of food.

Minako shook her head slightly and stood up, "I'll see you in class when you get there." Minako said before walking to the building. Usagi merely nodded, so she didn't waste too much time talking when she could be eating. Minako nodded back and continued into the building for her next class.

* * *

'How does one go about confessing their eternal love to someone? Someone they've loved for so long, but held it all inside for just as long?' Rei pondered and laid back on her futon. Rei looked up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers she was looking for. 'Just sitting here isn't helping anything. It's about time I asked the Sacred Fire my questions.' Rei thought and sat up.

Rei walked over to her closet and pulled out a kimono. She kept a number of kimonos inside her closet, along with her school uniform. All her other outfits that she would wear outside of school and the jinja were kept in her dresser. Rei removed her shirt and skirt and folded them neatly on her bed, 'You're too nice Usagi. I wonder if you will stay like that after I tell you what I have to tell you. I wouldn't be surprised if she were disgusted with me and told me she didn't want me as her bodyguard anymore.'

Rei slipped on the kimono she had picked out, 'No, if I'm pessimistic I won't have a shot. And, what did Minako tell me? To do what feels right and everything would work out fine.' A smile crossed her lips, 'It wouldn't hurt to be as optimistic as Minako is sometimes.' Rei thought and headed to her bedroom door.

Rei slid the door open and exited her room. She started to head to the fire room, when a thought struck her, 'I should tell Jii-chan that I'm going to meditate, so he doesn't worry.' Rei turned around and headed outside, to where she knew her grandfather would likely be. When she made it outside Rei could see her grandfather arranging the charms that they sold. "Jii-chan?" Rei called.

The short bald man turned to his granddaughter, "Oh, Rei! I thought you were going to rest. Yuuichirou and I don't need your help today, it would be better if you rested for today."

"Thanks Jii-chan, but I really want to mediate today. Being with the Sacred Fire helps me feel better too." Rei said.

Rei's grandfather gave her a disapproving look, "Yes, but mediating also puts a strain on your body. I'm not sure if you should be doing that so soon after leaving the hospital."

"You worry too much Jii-chan. I'll be fine." Rei assured him. Rei knew he was worried, but she really needed to do this. If only to put her mind at ease, she needed to see if the Sacred Fire had any helpful advice. 'I might even be able to get some insight into our enemy or maybe how they seem to know who I am.' Rei thought.

"You know I can't stop you, but will you at least promise me something?" Grandpa Hino asked.

"Sure." Rei replied.

"Don't spend hours in there, like I know you've done before." He said.

"I won't. What I have to do won't take hours." Rei said and kissed the old man on his baldhead. Rei turned back to the shrine and to her destination, the fire room.

Rei reached the fire room and slid back the door to enter the room. Once inside she was bathed in the light of the large fire. Rei slid the door shut and approached the fire, "Please help me here as you always have." She begged the fire. Rei knelt in front of the Sacred Fire and tucked some stray strains of hair behind her ear before starting to concentrate. Rei did her best to clear her mind of unnecessary thoughts and focused on how to tell Usagi and what she could expect to happen.

After a few moments, Rei started chanting the words that would give her foresight, which would hopefully give her the answers she was looking for. Even though Rei was asking the fire specific questions she had no control over what knowledge the fire would impart to her, but she hoped if she focused hard enough then the fire would see fit to give her some of the answers she was looking for.

Rei continued her chants for several minutes, but was getting no response. She could feel frustration building up, but she refused to let it affect her because if she lost her concentration she would have to start all over again and she didn't want to have to do that. She continued chanting and for a second she thought that she saw something in the flames, but it was gone too quickly for her to know for sure. 'Please, I've never asked for anything from you before. I've always let you show what you wanted to show me, but just this one time show what I want to know. This is my dearest plea to you.' Rei spoke to the fire mentally. Finally, she could see something in the flames and it was rapidly getting clearer. Rei smiled to herself, 'Thank you for answering my request.'

As the image cleared up her smile faded, 'No, this isn't…' she thought as realized the image was. In the image, she could see a woman with long black hair similar to her own standing in a burning field, smiling. It was not smile of happiness, behind the smile was malice and cruelty. The flames, not the flames of the Sacred Fire, the flames of the field, surrounded the woman but she continued to smile. Rei shut her eyes tightly and tried to will away the image, but when she opened her eyes, the image was still there. Rei shook her head and stood up, backing away from the Sacred Fire and hurried to the door. She stumbled as she stepped through the door and fell to the ground, barely getting her hands in front of herself to brace her fall. 'She looked like…like…me.' Rei thought and shut her eyes once again. This time not willing them to open, it wasn't until then that she realized she was too tired to open them anyway so she lowered her head to the ground. The last thing she heard was the rapid footsteps of someone running on the wooden floor.

End Ch. 16

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rei gets a glimpse of...something in the Sacred Fire. Is it a warning? Or something else?


	17. Kaeri

Chapter 17 – Kaeri

* * *

Rei groaned and her hand went instinctively to her head. 'Why does my head hurt?' Rei asked herself and pulled herself into a sitting position. She felt a little dizzy when she sat up, but that went away after a few moments. Rei investigated her surroundings, 'How did I get back into my room?' Rei thought when she heard her bedroom door slid open.

"Good to see you're awake." A voice said from her doorway.

"H-Haruka?" Rei asked confusedly, as if not believing her eyes.

"The one and only." Haruka said and smiled warmly. "Here take this." Haruka said, offering Rei a cup. Seeing Rei give her a curious look Haruka explained, "It's herbal tea and it should help you feel better."

Rei took the offered cup, "Thanks." She said and put the cup to her lips.

"I don't know why you would put such a strain on yourself right now. Couldn't a fire reading have waited? I know the enemy is a problem, but what good will you be if you end up hurting yourself?" Haruka asked and looked to Rei for her answer, but merely saw the girl staring off into space. An irritated looked crossed Haruka's features, but she didn't say any thing, instead she waited patiently for Rei to take a few more drinks before speaking again, "You know we should really stop making this a habit."

"Making what a habit?" Rei asked unconcernedly.

"Me…carrying you around everywhere, people will start to think something is going on between us." Haruka said only half seriously.

Rei nearly choked on her tea, but Haruka patted her on her back and sat beside her. "Wh-what?" was all Rei could manage to get out.

"Good, now I know you're at least paying attention to me." Haruka said.

"I was paying attention to you." Rei insisted.

"No, you weren't. You may have heard me, but you weren't listening to me." Haruka said, sounding a little irritated.

"I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." Rei explained and took another sip of tea.

"I can understand that, but can you tell me what happened? Your grandfather told me you were meditating and when I came inside, I saw you on the ground and only partially in the fire room. I carried you in here before your grandfather could see that you had passed out." Haruka said.

"Thanks for doing that." Rei said gratefully.

"You don't need to thank me. I couldn't very well leave you on the floor, could I?" Haruka said.

"No, I suppose not." Rei responded.

"Do you remember what happened? What caused you to pass out?" Haruka asked concernedly.

"I…I was doing a fire reading and I passed out." Rei said simply, but noticed that Haruka didn't seem too satisfied with that answer, so she added, "I may not have recovered enough to do a fire reading, so my body just gave out."

Haruka still looked dissatisfied by Rei's response, "Are you sure that's all? You didn't see anything?"

"What do you mean?" Rei asked curiously.

"I mean, you were mumbling something when I brought you in here and even up until you woke up." Haruka said.

"Mumbling something?" Rei repeated.

"I'm not her." Haruka said quietly.

Rei's eyes widened slightly, "I said that?" she questioned.

"Yes." Haruka said simply. "So I'll ask you again, did you see anything?" Haruka asked expectantly.

"I don't know what I saw exactly myself." Rei said as she recalled the vision. She could already feel her headache returning. She placed the cup on the ground and started messaging her temples.

Haruka noticed the girl's discomfort and asked, "Can I get you anything? An aspirin or something?"

Rei shook her head a little, "No, it won't help this."

Haruka eyed her uneasily, "Is it like this after every fire reading?" she asked.

"No, but it'll pass. I just need a little time." Rei said shut her eyes. She did her best to think about other things when a thought struck her, 'How did Haruka know I was at home anyway? If what Usagi told me was true she should think I was still over at her house.' Rei opened her eyes and looked at Haruka, "Haruka?"

"Yes?" Haruka responded.

"How did you know I was back home and not at Usagi's?" Rei asked curiously.

Haruka smiled slightly, "Setsuna hinted as much."

"I see." Rei said quietly.

"But even if she didn't say anything, I could sense that little light show you put on. I assumed you wouldn't do anything like that in Usagi's house." Haruka said and laughed a little at the end.

Rei's eyes widened, 'If she could sense that does that mean the others could too? Could Usagi?' "Do you think the others could have sensed that too?" Rei asked cautiously.

Haruka thought about what Rei asked for a few seconds before answering, "I can't really say for sure one way or another. I'm sure Michi and Setsuna could, but I'm not sure about everyone else though. We, Michiru, Setsuna, and I, are more atone to this sort of thing then you and the rest of inners are." Haruka said and paused for a short time before speaking again, "Usagi might have though. Setsuna once told me that she shares a connection with all of us; it's different for each of us. If any one of us were to die, she would know no matter how far away we might be from her because that connection, that bond would be broken."

"Oh." was all Rei could manage to say. 'I never knew that, why hasn't she ever mention it?'

"Is something wrong?" Haruka asked.

Rei shook her head, "No, was that why you came here?"

"No, that wasn't my reason for coming here." Haruka answered.

Rei looked at Haruka curiously after what Haruka had just said she assumed that to be her reason for visiting. Rei couldn't help but ask, "Why then?"

"I knew you were the only one home beside Setsuna and me so decided to come tell you this in person and you can spread the word to the others." Haruka said a paused to prolong the moment.

Rei couldn't tell whether Haruka's pause was good one or a bad one. Rei found Haruka to be hard to read sometimes, not nearly as hard as Setsuna was, but hard at times nonetheless; at least when she wanted to be. Growing frustrated with Haruka's less than forthcoming answer she decided to urge Haruka on, "Tell the others what?" she asked cautiously.

A wide smile spread across the blonde's lips, "Michiru's coming home this after noon."

Rei let out a relieved sigh, 'some good news at least.' "That's great, Haruka. When are you going to go get her?"

"As soon as I leave here." Haruka responded.

"I didn't mean to keep you here so long. You can leave if you want to." Rei said and started to get up, but Haruka stopped her.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Haruka asked as she stood in front Rei, preventing her from getting up.

Rei looked irritated when she looked up at Haruka, "I'll walk you out. If you're going to get Michiru, I won't keep you." Rei said and renewed her efforts to get up again, but Haruka stopped her again.

"I didn't say I was leaving right now. So don't try to rush me out of here." Haruka said.

"I'm not trying to rush you out of here." Rei denied and stopped attempting to get up.

Haruka sighed, "It's not just that, Rei. I know you want me to leave so that I'll stop questioning you about your vision."

"Haruka if I learned important information about our enemy, I would tell you. I don't even know if it was related to our enemy or if it was something…something else." Rei said honestly.

Haruka raised an eyebrow at what Rei just said, "What do you mean something else?" Haruka asked.

"I don't know" Rei lied. She noticed that Haruka had an expression that told Rei she didn't believe her. "I'm sure if I meditate I can get a clearer answer about what I saw." Rei said, hoping that would be enough to assure Haruka that there was nothing to worry about.

"Rei you can't meditate so soon, you haven't even healed fully yet." Haruka protested.

Rei sighed audible, "I didn't mean I was going to go meditate as soon as you turned your back."

"That's good to hear." Haruka said sounding relieved.

"You really don't need to stay Haruka. I'm not going to do anything stupid." She assured her friend.

"Can I really trust you when you say that?" Haruka asked.

"Yes!" Rei said a little louder than she intended. Rei sighed again and spoke softer as she said, "I swear I don't know how Michiru is going to put up with you if you make such a fuss over something this small."

"Well I don't have to fight with her over these things because she knows I have her best interests in mind." Haruka replied.

"Why don't you put that theory in to practice?" Rei asked.

"It's not 'theory'." Haruka said. "I feel sorry for whoever has the courage to put up with you because they will really have their hands full. They'll have to be a saint or something." Haruka added jokingly.

"Very funny." Rei said dryly. "Seriously though, I'm fine and if I figure out anything more about my vision you'll be the first to know, ok?" Rei said.

"Okay, I should be going anyway." Haruka finally admitted. "Alright I'll leave you alone for now, but get some rest. I'll let your Grandfather know I'm leaving and that you are resting so no one bothers you." Haruka said and made her way to the bedroom door.

"See you later." Rei said as she watched Haruka leave her room.

Rei was relieved to be alone again. It wasn't that she didn't like her company or that she didn't appreciate what Haruka had done for her, but she really wanted to be alone to think. 'That vision…was she me? Or did I will that image myself in order to deter me from telling Usagi? To protect myself. Was it a warning of will happen if I tell her…or if I don't tell her?' Rei thought, but there were no clear answers to her questions, at least none that she could come up with. It was certainly possible that her fear could have conjured up that image, she pressed for some sort of message from the fire despite knowing better than to do that. Her experience told her that the fire gave information that it wished to, not necessarily what she wanted. 'The person I saw might not even be me.' Rei thought. It was possible after all; she wasn't the only person with dark hair and dark eyes in Japan.

'That person's eyes were darker than mine too.' She thought as she started to remember the vision more clearly. 'That's right her eyes were black, mine aren't black. I'm sure it was someone else.' Rei told herself, 'I could never be so…evil looking.' She thought for lack of a better word, but evil seemed to suit that person from her vision. 'No, that wasn't me.' Rei told herself convincingly.

Rei lay back on to her futon; her tired body finally demanding her to take notice of exactly how tired she felt. 'Haruka might be right, a little rest couldn't hurt. Yeah, I'll rest for a bit and then go to Usagi. I'll tell her today, nothing is going to stop me; not a tired body, not some vision I conjured up myself, nothing.' Rei thought and shut her eyes lazily. After that thought, Rei felt as though small weight had been lifted from her shoulders, 'I'm really going to tell her. I don't know how she's going to react, but telling her is the only way to know if I stand a chance or not. I hope you'll tell me you feel the same way, my princess.' Rei thought with a smile as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Usagi made it home from school in record time; she even surprised herself that she could avoid the Crown and the latest Sailor V game. There were more important things on her mind than playing video games. Seeing the large Sailor V poster in one of the windows of the Crown did cause her mind to drift to her blonde friend. Minako was Sailor V after all, but it's been a long time she went by that alias. 

Really though it wasn't that long ago, it just felt like it was a long time ago. Usagi could still remember how she idolized the superhero she even would imitate her. Of course, all of that was before she met Luna and became a 'superhero' herself. Honestly, Usagi had never seen herself as a 'superhero'. Sure, she fought creatures that normal people couldn't and even had abilities that most people could only dream of, but she didn't see herself as a superhero. She never asked for the title of Sailor Moon or heir to the Moon Kingdom, but she couldn't walk away from it either because too many people depended on her to protect them.

Minako was different from the other inners because she had experience under her belt by the time she joined up with everyone. Usagi looked up to Minako not just, because she was Sailor V, but because she always seemed to know how to handle herself in any situation. Which is why Usagi couldn't help but be a little worried as to why Minako came to her for help? She was grateful that Minako felt she could come to her, but it got her thinking that maybe Minako wasn't as in control as she always seemed to be. 

'Minako seemed genuinely worried about what the future might hold her.' Usagi thought as she slipped off her shoes and left them by the front door. 'I can't accept that I'm the only one due happiness.' Usagi thought and announced to her family that she was home and going up to her room. 'Is my future so certain though? I haven't seen or even spoken to Mamo-chan in such a long time. Can I just sit back and rest assured that everything will turn out as I saw in future? Is it even right that I should know what the future holds for me, while my friends don't? I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all of them, their strength has made me stronger. They've given their lives for me, more than once and I don't think I could stand it if they had to sacrifice they're happiness for mine. I can't believe that will happen because everyone is destined to find someone.' Usagi made it to her room as she finished that thought.

Usagi open the door and put her backpack on the ground by the door as she stepped into her room. She quickly looked around the room for the black cat in hope that she returned. She didn't have to look very much because curled up on her bed was the very cat she was searching for. Usagi quickly walked over to the cat and sat on the edge of her bed, "Hey Luna, you awake?" Usagi asked loudly.

Luna looked up groggily to see who was disturbing her sleep, she saw her charge smiling down at her, "Oh Usagi, I didn't expect you to be home already." Luna said as she got up and stretched.

"Well I wanted to get home quickly so I could go out and look for Rei again." Usagi explained. Even though she knew Rei was at the park at one time, that didn't mean she was still there because that was hours ago. "If you're here Luna, does that mean you already know where Rei is?" Usagi asked. 'That could be the only reason she wasn't still out searching. She did promise me that she would look for her.' Usagi thought.

'Should I tell her?' Luna thought as she debated with herself about what to do, Usagi looked at her expectantly, 'I can't lie to her.' Luna finally thought. "She went back to her home, like she said she was going to do." Luna said.

"Did she tell you why she left like she did this morning?" Usagi asked.

'I knew that question was coming.' Luna thought. "No, I didn't actually speak with her. I just confirmed that she did indeed go back to the shrine." Luna said.

"Why didn't you say anything to her?" Usagi asked curiously. Usagi figured Luna would like to know the answer to that question as much as she would.

"I didn't want her to run away again. She might have done that if she realized she was being followed." Luna said convincingly. That may not have been Luna's real reason, but she hoped Usagi would accept that as her reason. 'It was a plausible reason, after all.'

Usagi seemed to think about what Luna said for a few moments. It did make sense, why risk Rei running off again when it was important that she at least knew that Rei was at the jinja and that she was safe. "I'm glad she didn't run into any trouble and made it home safely." Usagi said, sounding relieved.

"What are you going to do now?" Luna asked.

Usagi stood up and walked over to her dresser. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before proceeding to change out of her school uniform and into some more casual clothes. "I'll go and see if she's alright. Then I can ask her why she left in such a hurry this morning." Usagi said once she finished changing. 'Maybe I can even find out what she and Minako were talking about too.' Usagi thought hopefully.

"Are you sure?" Luna asked.

"I'm sure. I want to hear her reason for doing that. I'm sure I won't be too long, that is if I leave now." Usagi said as she was already moving to the door.

"I understand." Luna said quietly.

"I'll see you later, ok Luna?" Usagi said and opened the door. She was already out the door without waiting for an answer from the black cat.

'Will you be mad if Rei says I was the reason she left?' Luna thought as she watched Usagi leave. 'I guess I'll know the answer to that in a short time. The only thing I can do is wait.' Luna thought and laid back down.

* * *

"Are you ready to go?" Haruka announced as she entered the previously silent hospital room.

"I've been ready for sometime now. Where have you been?" Michiru asked.

"Just visiting my other girlfriends…jealous?" Haruka joked and moved close to Michiru for a quick kiss that Michiru willingly accepted before hitting Haruka's arm. "Oww, what was that for?"

"I was being serious. I was starting to get worried." Michiru said.

"Alright, I went over to the shrine to check on Rei. When I got there she passed out from a fire reading." Haruka explained.

"Is she alright?" Michiru asked.

"Yeah, after a little rest she was better. I swear that girl is the most stubborn person I know." Haruka said and pushed her short blonde hair back.

"I think you could give her a run for the money in that category." Michiru teased.

Haruka laughed at her comment before continuing, "Well maybe, but she refused to let me help her. Her vision, what ever she saw…it frightened her. I could see that, but she wouldn't let me help her."

"It frightened her?" Michiru questioned.

"Yeah, but I couldn't do anything to help her because she wouldn't tell me anything about it." Haruka said and sighed, "I don't understand why she feels that she must bear this on her shoulders alone."

"Is it possible you're reading too much into this?" Michiru asked.

"Anything's possible, but I'm sure you felt Rei using her powers earlier; she used enough for any of us to feel that." Haruka said and Michiru nodded her head, "Then you know that she must be worried about more than her vision because that happened well over an hour before she did her fire reading. So what ever her reason for doing that earlier and for refusing to tell me about her vision makes me worry that she's taking on too much."

Michiru thought about what Haruka just said and what she said made her concerned too, "I think you might be right. Do you think we should keep an eye on her?" Michiru asked.

"I'm not sure if we should go that far yet, but I don't want to rule that out either. I'll trust her judgment for now, but if she does anything else that is out of the ordinary I say we watch her to make sure she isn't over doing it." Haruka said and just when she finished there was a knock of the door, followed by a nurse entering the room. "Let's talk about this later." Haruka said. Michiru nodded her head in agreement as the nurse started to explain the terms of Michiru's discharge.

* * *

By the time, Usagi made it to the jinja it was already starting to get dark. 'Hopefully Rei won't be too upset that I'm coming by uninvited.' Usagi thought as she started to make her ascent up the many stairs of the jinja. Usagi couldn't imagine having to go up this many steps everyday after school or after a long night of battles with youma, 'It must be tiring.' Usagi thought. Since she was only half way up the many stairs, she decided to quicken her pace. It didn't seem to take as long if she didn't actually think about how many stairs she was climbing. One time she even tried to count how many stairs there were, but she lost count at a hundred and eleven. After a little more climbing, she finally reached the top. Since the shrine was still open, the main gate was still open for anyone who wishes to visit the shrine, so Usagi just went right inside. She was nearly at the entrance to the building where Rei's room could be found when Rei grandfather stepped out from the building.

"Hi Ojii-chan! How are you?" Usagi asked cheerfully.

"Hello Usagi-san. I'm fine, how are you?" Grandpa Hino asked.

"I'm good." Usagi said and looked around the yard, "Is Rei around?"

"Yes, she's resting in her room." Grandpa Hino replied.

"Oh, if you don't mind I'd like to go see her." Usagi said.

Grandpa Hino thought about it for a few moments before he answered, "I don't mind, but Rei might still be sleeping. I'm not sure she'll be very talkative when she's sleeping." He joked.

"If she's still sleeping I won't bother her, but I was hoping to talk to her. I can always come back again tomorrow after school if I have to." Usagi said and walked into the jinja.

Once inside Usagi made her way through the familiar halls of the jinja. The Hikawa Jinja was like a second home to her, for all the senshi really. They all routinely met at the jinja for the senshi meetings or study sessions normally at Ami's insistence. They even had a few slumber parties at the shrine, since it was a big place with a number of rooms that could be used as spare bedrooms. Rei was noticeably lonely at times when she had to be at the jinja alone, it didn't happen often but it did happen sometimes. Those were usually occasions when they would have slumber parties. Rei's mood always seemed to brighten up when she was in the company of her friends.

Finally, Usagi reached the room she knew to be Rei's. She slid up the door quietly, so as not to wake her if she was indeed still asleep. She entered the room just as quietly as she opened the door. Once inside she spotted Rei laying on a futon in the center of her room. Usagi didn't expect Rei to still be sleeping, she expected her to yell at her for coming into her room without knocking or yell at her for coming uninvited to her home, but she didn't do either; she was sleeping soundly on the ground.

'She must have really been tired to still be sleeping.' Usagi thought as she looked at her friend. She was still dress in her miko kimono; she hadn't even bothered to cover herself with a blanket. 'I should cover her with a blanket at least.' Usagi thought and went to Rei's closet to see if there were any blankets inside it. As she walked to the closet, she saw the clothes she lent Rei earlier that day folded neatly on top of her dresser. She didn't dwell on the sight, instead she just continued to the closet. She opened it and quickly spotted one thin blanket on the floor of the closet. She searched around for another, but came up empty. 'I guess this will have to do.' Usagi thought as shut the door and made her way back to Rei.

'She looks so elegant. Was that the right word? Could someone look elegant as they slept?' Usagi thought as covered Rei with the blanket she found and knelt beside the sleeping girl. 'She looks nothing like me when I sleep. I'm always sprawled in one direction of another, but not Rei.' Usagi thought as she looked down at her sleeping friend. 'I can't wake her, she's sleeping so peacefully. I came here to make sure she was fine and I know she is now. There's plenty of time to ask her what it is she was discussing with Minako; or to be more precise, what is she wanted to tell me.'

Usagi tucked some stray hair that had fallen into Rei's face, behind her ear. "Sleep peacefully Rei-chan. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" Usagi said quietly. She started to stand up when she felt a hand grab her arm. Usagi turned back to Rei and was a little surprised to see her eyes open and looking up into her own.

"Usagi?" Rei whispered uncertainly. Rei blinked a few times, 'Is she really here?' was all she could think.

"Yes, it's me." Usagi said, seeming to notice the girl's confusion.

"What are you doing here Usagi?" Rei asked and sat up. She couldn't help but ask, she didn't expect Usagi to be in her room when she awoke. She felt someone in the room with her and that caused her to wake, but expected it to be her grandfather, not her Princess. She planned to go over to Usagi's and speak with her, not for her to come visit her.

"I-I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Usagi said a paused for a moment, "You really worried me, running off like that this morning."

Rei hung her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

Usagi looked at Rei curiously, 'Rei apologizing for something? That's not something I hear from her very often.' Usagi thought but she didn't really think about it. "I'm just glad you didn't run into trouble when you ran off like that." Usagi said sounding very relieved to Rei's ears. Rei lifted her head to meet Usagi's gaze and her warm smile; Rei couldn't help, but smile in return. Her smile faded when she spoke again, "Rei?" she said seriously.

"Yes?" Rei asked in return, her smiled also fading when she noticed the seriousness in Usagi's voice.

Usagi felt she had to ask one thing that had been bugging her since Rei had fled her home earlier that morning, "Can you tell me why? Why did you rush out of my room like you did this morning?"

Rei wasn't surprised by that question she expected it, in fact. She didn't want to just blurt out the real answer, but she figured it might be a good place to start. "I'm sure you want an honest answer, but frankly I'm not sure where to start." Rei said after a few moments of thought, she wanted to word everything perfectly. She didn't have a lot of experience with expressing her emotions, especially this emotion, and much to her annoyance sleep did little to help with this.

"Of course I want an honest answer Rei, that's all I really want." Usagi said openly. There was obviously more to her reason than she expected. She suspected the reason she gave her originally wasn't her real reason. Usagi knew that Rei would want to assure her grandfather that she was fine, but that couldn't have been her only reason to leave because she could have easily went back home later in the day. Then there was the fact that she didn't actually head straight home as she said she was doing, a fact that Usagi knew but didn't intend to let her know that she knew. Usagi didn't know how Rei would react to hearing that she eavesdropped on a very private conversation between her and Minako and she didn't have any intention of finding out how she would react. A thought crossed Usagi mind, 'Maybe her reason for leaving has something to do with what she was talking to Minako about?' A part of her wished she had heard their entire conversation, but another part of her felt guilty for even listening to the part of their conversation that she did.

Finally, Rei spoke again, "It's only right for me to tell you, but do you mind if I ask you something first?"

"Sure, what is it?" Usagi asked curiously and a little eagerly as well. She didn't know what Rei had to say, but she was filled with a cautious excitement. She didn't really understand why because she could only guess at what Rei had to say.

"Could we take a walk as we talk?" Rei asked.

"If that's what you want, I don't have a problem with it." Usagi responded.

"Thanks." Rei said. She didn't know what caused her to make this request, but for some reason it just struck her as a good idea. 'The sun will be setting soon. Maybe that's why. A declaration of love under the moonlight was romantic. Is that the mood I'm going for? Yeah that must be the reason.' Rei reasoned with herself. "Let me just change into something more casual than my kimono." Rei said and stood up.

Usagi stood up as well, "I'll give you some privacy then." Usagi said and started to make her way to the bedroom door.

"Usagi?" Rei called before the blonde could leave the room.

"Yes Rei?" Usagi replied.

"Thanks for coming here; you saved me the trouble of going over to your house." Rei said as she walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer.

"What do you mean?" Usagi asked curiously, she couldn't help but ask her what she meant.

"I was going to come over and apologize for the way I left this morning." Rei explained. It was only the partial truth, but it was better than saying nothing. She did plan to apologize, but that wasn't what she planned on go over there for. Her primary reason was to tell Usagi about her feels for her, but thankfully, Usagi saved her the trip.

"Okay." Usagi said, seeming satisfied with Rei's answer.

"I'll be out in a few." Rei said and picked out her desired outfit. Usagi gave her a nod and left the room.

* * *

Saburo watched the Hikawa Jinja with interest, for his two targets dwelled inside that shrine. He decided that he would wait until they emerged before doing anything. Burning the building to the ground would be too easy and besides that, he wanted to see their faces as they perished. 'I'm going to enjoy this.' Saburo thought when he heard someone approaching him from behind.

"Saburo!" Ryuji called.

Saburo turned around to see Ryuji walking up to him, "What do you want?"

"I merely came to give you this." Ryuji said and held out a black ball to Saburo.

"What is it?" Saburo asked as he cautiously inspected the sphere. 'I wouldn't put it past him to give me something that would kill me as soon as I touched it.' Saburo thought.

Ryuji smiled at Saburo's fear, "Just an object that may help you against the Sailor Senshi."

"Explain." Saburo demanded.

"If you get into trouble and need to incapacitate one of the Sailor Senshi, just throw this at the one you wish to incapacitate." Ryuji explained.

"Why would you give this to me?" Saburo asked and cautiously took the sphere from Ryuji.

Ryuji smiled again, which caused Saburo to trust the demon even less. "I just think you will need this if you wish to have a chance in this battle."

"I think I can take care of two Sailor Senshi without your assistance, but if you are offering this as a token of good faith I will take it." Saburo said and the black ball disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

"You would do well not to underestimate these two. I say this not because I give a damn about you, but because I want these warriors dead." Ryuji said and turned away from Saburo. Saburo watched as Ryuji left him, he didn't know whether he could trust him or not but he wouldn't know until he gave that black ball a shot.

' _I've done as you requested_.' Ryuji said mentally.

' _Good. Now just watch as I instructed you to do_.' A voice replied. Ryuji smiled as he stepped into tree-covered part of the street and blended in with the darkness that was slowly covering the entire city.

* * *

Neither Rei nor Usagi said much other than letting Rei's Grandfather that they were going to be gone for a little while; that was until they made it to the bottom of the steps. Rei finally decided to speak up, since she was the one that wanted to talk in the first place, "Usagi, to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure where to begin." Rei said, but kept her eyes averted from the girl she was speaking to.

She was met with silence for a few minutes, while Usagi thought of the best way to respond. Finally, coming up with something Usagi broke the silence, "Just start from where ever you want. The beginning might be a good place to start." Usagi said thoughtfully.

'The beginning huh?' Rei thought to herself, "This may take a while then." She said aloud.

"That's ok. Something we do have is time." Usagi said. Even if it took all night, Usagi was determined to hear what Rei wanted to say because it was obviously something very important to her.

"Ok, but first can you promise me something? Promise me whatever I say won't hurt our friendship." Rei asked.

"How can anything you say affect our friendship?" Usagi asked curiously.

"Please Usagi. Your friendship is very important to me." Rei pleaded.

Usagi looked at Rei, 'She's seriously worried about this.' "Whatever you tell me won't hurt our friendship." Usagi said honestly. She didn't know what Rei could say that could hurt their friendship, but she knew whatever it was couldn't make her feel any different about her. They'd been friends for so long and she couldn't imagine not being friends with her. Usagi decided to add more to assure Rei that she could tell her anything, "You're important to me Rei; as are all of my friends. I want you to come to me if you need to talk about anything. Even if you  _think,_  it may damage our relationship. I believe I told you this before but if I haven't I will now, anything you tell me will  _not_  make me think less of you."

"Thank you Usagi, it means a lot to hear you say that." Rei said and looked over to Usagi again, she was smiling at her again. Rei couldn't help but return the gesture. Her expression turned serious again, 'It's time I stop stalling and got down to business, so to speak.' Rei thought. Minako's words echoed her mind before she started, 'Just do what you feel is right and you'll be fine'

"Usagi, do you remember when you first showed up at the Jinja?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, you put an ofuda on my head." Usagi said and rubbed her head to emphasize her statement.

Rei blushed as she recalled her embarrassing mistake, "That wasn't exactly what I was talking about, but there's as good a place to start as any." Rei said and waited to see if Usagi had anything to add before continuing, "That day really changed my life, you know?"

"Of course you first became Sailor Mars then." Usagi chimed in, causing Rei to laugh. "What's so funny?" Usagi asked curiously.

"It's true that was when I first became Sailor Mars, but again I wasn't really talking about that." Rei said and stopped walking.

Usagi stopped as well and stared at Rei, "What do you mean then?" Usagi asked.

Rei turned to Usagi and took her hands in her own and smiled, "I met you that day." Even with the only light from streetlights, Rei could see Usagi blush at that comment.

"Rei wh-what…" Usagi started, but Rei cut her off.

"Come on, I know a nice bench in here where we can sit and talk." Rei said and pulled Usagi into the same park Usagi remembered Rei was in earlier that morning. The further they traveled into the park Usagi started recognize this to be the same path she took to find Rei earlier. Usagi was too flustered to put up any arguments, so she just let Rei led her to whatever place Rei was headed. Usagi had a good idea where they were headed though. Finally, after a fair amount of walking, the girls reached an area that was free of trees, but it did contain a bench in the center of the treeless area.

"This was where…" Usagi started to say, but stopped herself.

"This was where what?" Rei asked Usagi curiously.

Usagi shook her head, "Nothing." Usagi hit herself mentally, she almost let it slip that she knew Rei was at this spot earlier that day and she didn't want to explain that to her. Rei was going said something and Usagi feared she was going to ask something more about what she was going to say, so she decided to ask a question instead, "What did you mean by what you said before we entered the park?"

Rei blushed a bit, even though she tried to hide it, "Let's sit down first." Rei said and motioned to the only bench in the vicinity. Rei walked over to the bench and sat down; Usagi followed closely behind her and sat down beside her. "It's a nice night don't you think?" Rei said and looked up at the stars.

Usagi didn't know where Rei was going with all of this, but she followed along, "Yes it is." She said and looked up too.

"You know what shines brightest in the night sky, don't you?" Rei asked and continued looking up.

Usagi nodded her head before answering Rei's question, "The moon."

"Yeah, the moon." Rei said, while she kept her eyes fixated on the sky. "You're like that too, you know? You shine brighter than anyone here. Maybe that's part of what makes you so special." Rei said and took a quick glance over to Usagi to see her reaction; she smiled when she saw a blush spreading across her cheeks before looking back up at the sky again. "Earlier I told you that your friendship was important to me, but it's more than that…you're important to me." Rei said honestly and looked over to Usagi again, but didn't turn away this time.

"R-Rei, what a-are you…?" Usagi stuttered.

"Usagi I'm saying…" Rei began, but she had to force herself to stop. 'Something's coming this way, really fast. I have to act just as fast then.' Rei thought. She quickly picked Usagi up and ran a couple feet before driving the ground, covering Usagi with her own body.

"Rei, wh…" Usagi started to say when Rei picked her up, but the question she was going to ask was answered a few moments later.

A red ball of energy collided with the bench the duo was sitting on only moments before. The bench was turned into nothing more then a few pieces of wood scattered across the ground. The energy attack left a good size hole in its wake as well. "Are you ok?" Rei asked concernedly.

"Yeah, but what was that?" Usagi asked Rei quietly.

"A youma." Rei responded. She released Usagi and pulled herself up. Once she was standing she offered a hand to Usagi, which she accepted and Rei pulled her to her feet. Rei turned away from Usagi and focused her attention on a wooded area of the park, Usagi did the same but she wasn't exactly sure what Rei was looking at. "Come out and fight face to face instead of cowardly attacking us from the dark!" Rei called into the darkness.

"Nice reflexes…for humans." A voice said from somewhere in the trees in front of Rei and Usagi.

Rei looked over to Usagi, "We need to transform before he attacks again." Rei said quietly. Usagi nodded and took her crisis moon compact into her hand while Rei took her henshin stick out of her pocket.

"MOON CRISIS, MAKE UP!"

"MARS CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"

* * *

A short distance away from Juuban Central Park a motorcycle stopped in the middle of a street, causing all of the vehicles behind it to slam unto their brakes and nearly causing a major traffic accident. The biker was met with many curses from fellow drivers, but the biker ignored their comments. Biker started up the motorcycle again and did a quick u-turn. The motorcycle was now heading in the same direction Rei and Usagi currently were in.

End Ch. 17

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first use of Japanese in the chapter titles. More importantly this chapter featured an almost confession, because things can never be that easy :)


	18. Ashi no Yabou: …

Chapter 18 - Ashi no Yabou: …

* * *

"Well, if it isn't two of the legendary soldiers of justice, Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon." The voice called.

"You don't seem too surprised." Mars called back.

"Why should I be? No normal humans could have avoided that attack." The voice stated.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I have no obligation to answer those questions. Those questions can only be answered by a higher power when death takes you." The voice replied.

Mars gave an irritated look in the direction the voice was coming from, "Enough of this." Mars and pointed her arms in the direction she believed the youma to be.

"Mars Flame…!"

"Stop! You'll burn down the trees." Sailor Moon called and held her arm out in front of Mars.

Mars looked at Moon and was about to argue, but thought better of it. 'She's right, if I blindly use my attacks into the foliage I'd do more damage than anything.' Mars lowered her arms and looked to Usagi to see if she had a different plan to lure the youma out.

"Yes, listen to her. You don't want to start a fire that you can't put out." The voice mocked.

Sailor Moon looked to Mars, "Get him to keep talking." She whispered.

Mars finally realized what she had planned. Moon was obviously having a more difficult time of locating the youma then she was, 'She must be trying to locate him by the direction of his voice.' Mars nodded and turned her attention back to the youma, "Hey oni! You talk big, but that's all it is, isn't it? Talk. Or maybe you're just too ugly to show us your face?"

"You're the one with the big mouth. You humans really think too highly of yourselves. There is no other race…" he stopped when he saw the blonde one removing something from her head. "Just what the Hell do you think you're doing?"

"Moon Tiara Action!"

The object in Sailor Moon's hand turned into a glowing disc and a soon as Moon released it from her hands it started heading straight in the youma direction. Saburo cursed as he saw the golden disc approaching, cleanly cutting through several branches on it path towards him. Saburo leapt high into the air, clearing most of the trees that were once obscuring him from the two senshi's view.

"Now!" Sailor Moon called to Mars, she nodded her head in acknowledgment and raised her arms as she did earlier.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Saburo's eyes widened as he saw the flaming arrow rocketed towards him. He looked around see if he could use anything as protection, but came up empty. He was wide open to attack, being up in the air. He rosé higher before gravity finally took over and he started to descend back to the ground, but more importantly right into the path of Mars' oncoming attack. Saburo raised his arms when the arrow was about to collide with him, hoping his arms would take the brunt of the blow rather than any vital organ. The arrow crashed into with his arms and exploded on contact, sending him soaring backwards and further away from his original location.

Saburo screamed as he felt his arms meet the flames. He knew it would be painful, but he didn't think that her attack had enough power to burn him as bad as it did. 'If my skin wasn't as thick as is, her attack would have pierced right through my arms and I would have been done for.' Saburo thought and looked down he saw the ground was rapidly coming closer. 'I didn't realize they had such good teamwork.' Saburo thought as he went crashing into the ground. He skidded for a little longer before coming to a stop on a gravel walk way.

* * *

Mars and Moon ran as fast as they could to where they saw the youma falling. The blast sent him pretty far backwards because before they knew it they were back on the main pathway of the park.

"Do you think that was enough to take care of him?" Sailor Moon asked cautiously.

"No, but I'm sure it hurt him." Mars said and slowed down when she noticed that some of the ground was torn up, almost as if someone slid across it. "He's close by." Mars whispered and started scanning the area for any signs of the youma. Sailor Moon did the same, hoping to catch any sign of the youma.

"There's no sign of him, again." Moon whispered.

"He's here…somewhere." Mars whispered back. She looked over to Moon briefly and said, "I'll protect you no matter what he throws at us."

Sailor Moon turned to her when she said that, "Rei, you don't…"

"Shh, something's coming." Mars whispered before see a red ball of energy out the corner of her eye, "That attack didn't work before and it's not going to work now!"

"Fire Soul!"

A fireball left Mars' fingers and sailed right at the oncoming energy ball, but instead of colliding with it, it went right through it. "What!" Mars exclaimed.

The sound of laughter echoed through out the area of the park the two senshi were in, "You didn't honestly think I would use that same attack twice, did you?"

"What do you mean? That was the same attack, wasn't it?" Moon asked and looked to Mars for confirmation, but she didn't say any thing. Instead, Mars just looked around cautiously, "What's wrong?"

"We're surrounded." Mars said quietly.

"What do you…" Moon started to say, but as if to answer her question the moon came out from behind the clouds and lit up the area for a moment. Around the two senshi were countless red glowing balls, each of which were smaller then the previous two ball of energy the girls had seen.

"Yes, as Mars has told you; the two of you are surrounded. Those may be small, but believe me they are just as potent as the originals." Saburo said.

'This isn't good. I can't avoid all of those and protect her too. If I decide to just protect her, I'll be an easy target. In addition to that, taking too many hits by those things will knock me out or worse. Then what good will I be, if I can't protect her. I can't worry about myself though; I can't let her get hurt.' Mars thought and started inching closer to Sailor Moon. She stopped when she felt a gloved hand on her arm. She turned to see what her companion wanted and when she looked over she saw a smile on her pretty face.

"I don't need you to protect me from these. Trust me, I can dodge them." Moon said confidently.

"But…" Mars started to protest, but she was cut off before she had a chance to say any more.

"No buts…just trust me." Moon said. After a little more hesitation, Mars finally nodded her head reluctantly.

"Dodge them. I won't forgive you if you don't." Mars said and did her best to cover the worry in voice with anger, but she didn't think she was very successful.

"The same goes for you." Sailor Moon said back, not trying to hide the concern in her voice.

"Begin!" Saburo yelled and sent the stationary energy in motion.

Even though she agreed to let Moon handle herself, Mars still hesitated when leaving her side. 'If I get too far away from her, I won't be able to help her if she really does get into trouble.' She thought, but her hesitation was ended when saw a number of energy attacks headed towards her. Mars jumped to her left as she noticed Sailor Moon had jumped to her right and putting further distance between them. Mars ducked as some attacks came from above her head. Just after barely standing up straight, again she felt more attacks coming from her behind. The senshi of fire did a back flip to avoid the new wave of attacks, 'How many of these are there?' She thought as she rolled away from even more. She hazarded another glance at Sailor Moon to see how she was fairing, 'She doing really well. It doesn't even look like she's been nicked yet.' She thought when she realized an energy ball was nearly upon her, so she spun away from it, it still managed to catch her a little on her upper thigh, just below her mini skirt.

'Damn, that was close. How in the Hell can they dodge all of them!' Saburo thought as he watched Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars nimbly dodge more attacks. 'There might be a way to eliminate at least one of them…'

'Oww, that stings.' Mars thought as she jumped to avoid being hit again. Mars was careful about where she landed to avoid the many craters caused by the youma's attack. 'I can't stay on the defensive forever. There seems to be an endless amount of these and my energy will be depleted before all of them are gone.' Mars jumped to her right to evade even more of the energy balls, 'Now's as good a time as any to try to reduce the number of those.' Mars stopped and waited until she had a number of them surrounding her.

"Burning Mandala!"

Mars unleashed numerous rings of fire to take care of the youma's energy attacks. Her attack had its desired effect as the rings of fire collided with the balls of energy they cancelled out each other. Mars smiled, she dealt with over half of the energy balls that had surrounded her. She hurried to Sailor Moon to help her with some of the remaining energy attacks, but saw that Moon had already taken out her Moon Kaleidoscope, 'It looks like she noticed the same thing I did.' Mars thought.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Mars heard Sailor Moon call out her strongest attack. A blinding white light filled the surrounding area, causing even Mars to shut her eyes to protect her sight. She wasn't used to being in front of Sailor Moon when she preformed her attacks she usually stood behind her. 'I guess this is the last thing our enemies always see.' She thought. 'I'm glad I'm out of range of her attack, but I guess that's why she used it. She wouldn't do that unless she knew I wasn't in danger.' Mars opened her eyes to see that most of the youma's attacks had been vaporized. 'I guess I'll just finish off the rest.'

"Burning Mandala!"

Again, Mars threw rings of fire at the remaining attacks the youma sent out. All the rings hit their targets and destroyed them. Both girls looked around quickly to see if they needed to take care of any more attacks, but neither could sense any so they dropped their guard slightly. They needed to stay on guard for the most part, because the youma was still out there. Mars made her way closer to Sailor Moon to make sure she really was all right, "Are you okay? Were you hit anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine. I told you I could handle myself." Moon said proudly.

"Good." Mars said and focused her attention on locating the youma again. "Are you done hiding yet? Those tricks won't work on us again."

"Perhaps you're right. I do usually prefer a more direct approach." Saburo said and walked out from behind a large water fountain that wasn't too far ahead of the where the two soldiers were standing.

'I don't like the look on his face, he's too cocky. We just destroyed all of his attacks, didn't we? Unless he's just plotting something else.' Mars thought as she glared at the youma. "Did you finally decide to give up?"

Saburo smiled before answering Mars, "Not exactly." Both Mars and Moon readied themselves for the youma's next attack, but the youma didn't make any movement to enter any sort of fighting stance. "I don't think it's fair when there are two of you and only one of me."

"Fair? You're one to talk. You've done nothing, but hide and try sneak attacks since we encountered you." Moon protested.

"Be that as it may, I was at a handicap from the start. I was merely trying to even the odds." Saburo said.

"Oh shut up and fight already!" Mars yelled angrily.

Saburo smiled at Mars' impatience, "If that's how you want it, so be it." He said and put his left arm behind his back while he held his other arm out in front of his chest. The started to motion for the two girls to come with his hand, "Well come on now, it's about time we really got this thing started; I don't want this to take all night."

Mars and Moon looked at each other and they both nodded their heads slightly before starting to advance slowly. Mars moved close to Moon and whispered, "Stay close to me. He's planning something, I just know it." Sailor Moon nodded her head in response, she could tell the youma had something up his sleeve but she couldn't tell what.

Saburo smiled as the duo approached him cautiously, 'They look like they're waiting for me to make the first move. If that's the way they want it, let me even the odds a little then.' He thought and watched the two senshi carefully for any drop in their guard. 'Mars is overly protective of Moon, as I expected, but that doesn't necessarily make her an easier target. She's quicker on her feet and her being able to sense my attacks would make her difficult to hit. There are still two of them, and only need to distract one of them to go after the other.' Saburo thought for a little longer before formulating his plan, 'Now.' Saburo moved his hand behind back and another red energy ball flew out of a bush, straight at Mars.

"I knew you were plotting something!" Mars yelled at the youma even as she performed a back flip away from the attack. Sailor Moon moved to help her, but spoke before she had chance to do anything, "Don't take you eyes off of him, I can handle this alone."

"Can you?" Saburo questioned her. Mars glared at him before being forced to leap away from the attack again.

"Why do you continue to attack us so cowardly?" Moon asked.

"Call it what you will, but this is how I fight." He said.

Sailor looked at Mars and back to the youma, "Stop that now or I'll…"

"Or you'll what?" Saburo asked.

"Or I'll make you stop." Moon said and readied herself to charge the youma.

Saburo smiled, "Big words, for such a little girl."

* * *

Mars avoid the energy attack again, 'This doesn't feel right, I can barely sense this attack, and it's not like the others. It's almost like there's no power behind it.' She thought and glanced over to Sailor Moon, she was starting to advance on the youma again, but that wasn't what drew her eyes to the blonde haired girl. Rei could see something faintly glowing red speeding towards her princess. Mars stopped trying to avoid the attack and let it hit her. Mars' eyes widened, it didn't even hurt, 'Then that means, this one was just…a decoy.'

Mars ran as fast as could to catch up with Sailor Moon, but realized she was too far away from her to catch up. There was only one of thing she could do, warn her and hope she could avoid it in time, "Sailor Moon, behind you!"

Moon turned her head and saw why Mars was yelling at her. She jumped as high as she could and just barely cleared the attack. Mars let out a relived sigh, but her heart sank when she saw the attack change directions as Moon was still suspended in the air. 'She can't avoid it.' Mars thought as she watched the attack make a direct hit into her ankle. Mars felt tears well up in her eyes when she heard Sailor Moon scream in pain. 'What the hell am I doing just standing here?' she chastised herself. 'Her ankle could be broken. I can't let her land on it.' Mars thought and ran faster than thought she could. Speed wasn't her element, but she would make it hers so she could reach Sailor Moon in time. She found herself nearly under Moon before she even realized it, but Sailor Moon getting closer and closer to the ground too. Mars timed herself, she only hoped her timing would be right. She had to take a chance, so she slid across the grass as Moon was nearly at the ground. Whether it was luck or something else, Mars found Moon falling into her arms. Mars caught her as gently as she could under the circumstances. After catching her, the two slid a little more, before they came to stop. Mars looked down at Moon, who had her eyes shut tightly, and brushed away some hair that freed themselves from the buns she wore on both sides of her head, "Are you ok?" she asked concernedly.

"It hurts." Moon moaned and cradled her injured ankle.

Mars silently cursed herself, "I'm sorry, I didn't notice it earlier. The attack on me was just a decoy."

"No, it wasn't your fault. I was careless." Moon said and finally opened her eyes to look up at Mars. Moon looked at Mars in surprise, tears were still running down her cheeks. Without thinking, Moon found herself whipping away the raven-haired girl's tears; Mars jumped a little the unexpected contact. "It's alright, it doesn't really hurt that bad." Moon lied and tried to stand, but she couldn't do anything when she tried to put weight on her right ankle. Moon winced and fell back into Mars.

"Don't try to get up; I can handle him by myself." Mars said and eased Moon off of her and unto the ground. Once she successfully moved Moon on to the ground, she stood and faced the youma.

"Wait, we should call the others for help!" Moon called from the ground.

"No, I won't let him get away with that." Mars said and started to walk away.

"Don't do anything foolish!" Moon yelled to her, but Mars didn't answer her. She focused on only one thing and that was killing the youma that had hurt her love.

"What do  _you_  plan on doing?" Saburo asked sarcastically.

Mars glared at the youma, "I'm going to make you pay for doing that!" Mars said and ran at the youma.

Saburo took a step back, 'She's faster than before.' He observed and before he knew it Mars was had already reach him.

Mars jump up to try and generate as much force as she could before punching the youma in his face. The force combined with him not being ready for it, was enough to send the youma backwards and into the ground hard. 'Damn it.' Saburo thought and forced himself into a sitting position. His eyes widened when he saw a ball of fire flying at his head. He raised his, already brunt, arms up for protection. The small protection he was able to muster up did little to protect him from the flames. The fireball hit him, driving him back even further. Saburo grunted in pain as the flames burnt away more flesh from his arms and even as the flamed died down it still felt as though his arms were burning. He was glad when he stopped skidding across the ground, but when he looked up after stopping he saw Mars standing over him.

"I won't let you live after hurting her." Mars said in a deadly low voice. Not waiting any longer Mars to continue her attack, Mars kicked the youma as hard as she could in his side. Her kick sent Saburo rolling on his side, but Mars looked at him curiously. 'What is he made of? That kick should have broken a few ribs at least, but it didn't. He must have some kind of, built in armor. I'll just burn it away then.' She thought and headed at the youma again.

* * *

From the trees Ryuji watch on, 'You fool; you should have used what I gave you. All you've done is piss her off. You won't last long if this continues like this.' He thought. Ryuji didn't care much about what happened to Saburo. He was more interested in studying the Sailor Senshi. 'The likelihood of Saburo surviving this is next to zero now, especially now. He is at least giving me an opportunity to gauge the senshi's abilities, so I guess he does have some use.' Ryuji thought and continued to watch the fight with interest.

* * *

Saburo picked himself up off the ground, 'I guess I have no choice but to use this.' Saburo thought and put his hand behind his back. He summoned the black sphere that Ryuji gave him earlier, 'I don't know what this will do and I'm a little disgusted that I can't handle her without help from that bastard, but I don't have choice.' Saburo jumped further away from Mars in an attempt give himself some distance from her.

"I won't let you get away!" Mars yelled and increased her efforts to reach the retreating youma.

Saburo smiled, 'I don't know what this will do, but this is all I have left.' "I'm not done yet." Saburo called and threw the black sphere he previously had hidden behind his back at Mars. Mars stopped her pursuit and aimed her arms at the black ball he just threw at her.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Mars released a flaming arrow at the object, but when she did, the sphere changed shape. It turned stretched and lengthened into the size of blanket. The arrow continued toward the attack, but as it was about to strike it, a hole appeared and the arrow traveled right through the instead of hitting the attack. The black object continued at Mars and started to encircle her and before she could do anything she found herself wrapped up in the stuff.

"Mars!" Sailor Moon yelled when she saw what happened.

Mars fell to the ground, she was covered almost completely by the black substance, and only her head and feet remained free. Mars struggled to free herself, but found that the more she struggled the more the black stuff tightened around her.

Saburo watched in surprise, 'What the hell is that stuff?' He shook his head, 'It doesn't matter; now both senshi are unable to move.' He thought and smiled. Saburo started to walk over to Mars, but thought better of it, 'I know how to make her suffer more without attacking her directly.' "I think I'll kill her…your princess, while you watch." Saburo said and walked away from the restrained senshi.

"Don't get any closer to her, or I'll…" Mars said angrily and tried to free herself, but she was having little success.

"You'll do what? You'll lay there and watch her die, because that's the only thing you can do." Saburo said and continued toward Sailor Moon.

"I'll kill you. That's what I'll do!" Mars yelled and put all her strength into trying to free herself.

Sailor Moon reached for her tiara and threw the glowing disc at the on coming youma. He just smiled at her attempt to fend him off, his hand started to glow a bright red and he caught the flying disc easily. Moon's eyes widened when he stopped her attack, with seemingly no effort. "H-how…?" she started to say.

"This thing won't work on me if I can see it coming." Saburo said and threw the glowing disc to the ground, where it transformed back into her tiara.

"If that's the case then…" Moon said and paused when she called forth her Moon Kaleidoscope to her hands, "…then I'll use this." Saburo started laugh at her, "What's so funny?"

"What do you hope to do with that? Hit me with it?" He asked and laughed at her again.

"No." She said and started to accumulate power into the object.

"Moon..."

Saburo stopped laughing when he saw the power she was generating, 'I didn't think she could gather as much power from a sitting position. This isn't good; I can't let her finish her attack.' He thought and ran at Sailor Moon as fast he could.

"...Gorgeous..."

Just as she finished the second word in her attack, she felt someone grab her arm. She looked and saw that the youma had managed to reach her before she could finish her attack. Saburo tightened his grip on Moon's hand, causing her to whimper quietly. "This thing is too dangerous." He said and slapped the object out of her hand with his free hand. "With no more interruptions, this is your end princess. Die!"

Mars could see the youma's free hand glow red as he ready this hand to strike her, "SAILOR MOON!" Mars yelled. She could feel her forehead burning as her tiara faded away leaving Mars' symbol glowing brightly where tiara once was. Just when she was about to release, all the energy she had built up, she sensed the presence of another close by.

Saburo readied his hand to strike her, when he realized something was coming at him at a very fast pace. He released Sailor Moon just as a red and green object flew between himself and Moon. Before he even had much of a chance to react, another red green projectile flew at him, forcing him to leap away from the blonde girl.

Mars slowly let the energy she had built up fade away and as she did so, the symbol of Mars faded away too, being replaced with her tiara once again. Sailor Moon stared at the rose imbedded in the ground and even as one pedal fell, she couldn't seem to take her eyes off the red flower. While Moon remained in a state of shock, Mars looked instinctively into the direction the rose had come from. Mars' gaze landed on a nearby streetlight, 'Why did he come back now?' Mars thought. At the top of the pole stood a familiar figure, one wearing a hat, a mask over his eyes, and a cape that fluttered behind him in the wind. He leapt down wordlessly to the ground and looked Moon and Mars. The little sound he made caused Moon to tear her gaze away from the rose to the tuxedo-clad man.

"Ma-Mamo-chan?" Sailor Moon quietly asked in disbelief.

"And just who the Hell are YOU?" Saburo yelled at the new arrival.

"I'm just a friend of theirs who has been gone long enough." Tuxedo Kamen said.

"Then you can die with them!" Saburo shouted.

"I won't be dieing here and neither will they." Tuxedo Kamen said and threw another rose, this time in Mars' direction.

The rose struck the rubbery black substance that once prevented her from moving. The rose was able to make a small tear in it, finally giving Mars a means to escape. She struggled a little, but she was finally able to force her hand through the small hole and increase its size. With one of her hands free, she was able to rip the hole even larger until she was able to use her other hand to free herself fully. 'I'm finally free of that stuff.' Mars thought and looked over to Tuxedo Kamen. 'I didn't need his help.' He was the last person she expected to come or wanted to come, for that matter. She could already feel her anger build as she looked at the tuxedo clad man. The last time she saw him was weeks ago and the last time she even mentioned his name was when she asked Usagi about him. Just remembering the state Usagi was in at that time was enough to make her anger boil over, but this wasn't the time or place to let that happen. 'I have plenty of time to give him a mouthful once we take care of this bastard. I'll make him pay for trying to hurt her, but first…' Mars stood up and brushed off the remnants of the black substance from her arms and legs. Mars ran over to Sailor Moon while Tuxedo Kamen engaged the youma. She knelt in front of Moon, "Are you alright, Usagi?"

Sailor Moon seemed to look past Mars as she spoke, "Mamo-chan…"

Mars could feel her chest tighten painfully and she lowered her head in defeat. "Stay here, while I go help him." Mars said quietly and began to stand, when Moon grabbed her arm.

"Help me up. I'll go too." Moon said and reached up to Mars for assistance. Mars nodded her head and bent lower, allowing Moon to put her arm across her shoulders, while she her arm around Moon's slim waist. Under probably any other circumstances, Mars would have enjoyed the close proximity to her love, but she didn't really know what to feel here. Sure, she was very close to her, but it was only because she was taking her to Mamoru and she only needed help because she wasn't quick enough to prevent her from being injured. Mars eased the other girl up slowly and wordlessly.

"I need my tiara and Moon Kaleidoscope." Moon said.

Mars nodded, "Can you stand on your own for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright." Moon replied. Mars nodded her head again and went to retrieve her desired objects.

She was able to get her tiara first because it was closer and easy to spot on the ground. Her Moon Kaleidoscope was a little more difficult. She went into the direction she saw it land and after a little searching she recover the object. Mars hurried back to Moon and gave her back the two items, "Here."

Moon smiled, "Thanks." She put her tiara back on and rather than returning her Moon Kaleidoscope to her sub space pocket, she keep it in her hand. Mars returned to helping Moon walk. The two senshi slowly made their way to the battle, where Tuxedo Kamen was fighting the youma in close combat. He didn't seem to allowing the youma to retreat and use any of his longer ranged attacks, which seemed to be his specialty. Once the two were close enough for Moon to use her attacks effectively Mars stopped.

"Stay this distance away. You can't move well enough to fight him head on, let Tuxedo Kamen and I do that." Mars said in an unquestionable tone. It was true, Moon had limited movement and if she were to try to fight with him head on it would be disastrous. Moon nodded her head in agreement. Mars released the other girl and ran to fight the youma as well.

"Burning Mandala!"

Mars called forth her attack and sent all the rings of fire at the youma, forcing him away from Tuxedo Kamen. Mars joined the tuxedo-clad man and stood against Saburo. Tuxedo Kamen looked over to Mars and whispered, "How is she?"

A part of Mars wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but she didn't listen to it, 'my feelings aren't important here.' "She says she's ok, but I know she's hurting." Mars said honestly.

"Let's finish this quickly then. Try to weaken him with your attacks. I'll parry anything he throws at you." Tuxedo Kamen said.

"And then what." Mars asked. His strategy won't kill him, but only weaken him; so what was he trying to accomplish.

"I'm sure Sailor Moon has enough to finish him at that time." Tuxedo Kamen said confidently. Mars looked at him; she would rather have Usagi rest the remainder of this one out, rather than risking her injuring herself further. Reluctantly she conceded, since she wasn't sure she had the power to defeat him anyway and she already knew Tuxedo Kamen didn't have the power to defeat him. "Alright, let's get started then."

"Is the conversation done yet?" Saburo asked, sounding annoyed. The two warriors looked at the youma and silently agreed it was time to begin.

"Fire Soul!"

The ball of fire flew at the youma, but he just seemed annoyed about it more than anything. He didn't even make an attempt to do dodge, that is until the fireball was within reach. When that happened he just reached out his hand, which was currently glowing red again, and caught the ball. After a few moments of being in his hand the flames dispersed, affectively nullifying the Mars' fire attack. "I already said if I can see it coming your attack won't work on me." Saburo said and formed a red ball of energy again, the glow around his hands disappeared when he did that and he was left only holding the red energy attack. "Take this!" He said and threw the ball at Mars. Mars didn't try to avoid, instead Tuxedo Kamen positioned himself in front of her and batted the attack away with his cane. "Quit butting in where you're not wanted!" Tuxedo Kamen just smiled. "Fine, I'll kill you first!" Saburo said and readied his next attack.

"Don't forget about me." Mars said quietly from behind the youma. Without him realizing it Mars somehow had gotten behind him. He turned his head to look at her and his eyes widened in shock; she was already preparing her attack.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The arrow left Mars' hands in a flash. The youma didn't stand a chance, because before he could offer up any defense the arrow had already pierced his back. The flames burnt through his clothing and set his back aflame. Saburo fell forward and howled in pain. He turned to see if the Sailor Senshi was still there, but there was no one where he just saw her.

"Finish it now Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen called. Sailor Moon was already ready with her weapon in she nodded.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Saburo's expression turned from one of pain to one of shock, 'Damn it, this is it, I can't avoid and there's no defense for it.' Sailor Moon's attack hit Saburo head on and even as he fell to the ground, he cursed the three who defeated him. "Damn you! Damn all of you!" Saburo cried out as he faded to dust.

Sailor Moon winced and fell to her knees, her injured ankle no longer able to support her weight. "It hurts." She complained as she held her ankle in her hands.

Mars moved to kneel beside Sailor Moon, but Tuxedo Kamen reached her first, "Let me see it." He ordered. Moon complied and offered him her injured foot. "Undo your transformation." He said and she complied again. Tuxedo Kamen eased off her shoe and sock before looking over the injury. He sighed and looked at Usagi, "I think it's just a bad bruise. You're going to be alright, Usako."

"Usako?" Usagi echoed cautiously as tears started to fill her eyes again, "Its still Usako?"

Tuxedo Kamen smiled, "You'll always be Usako to me."

Mars undid her transformation and watched the exchange. She bowed her head in defeat, turned away from the couple silently, and started to walk away.

"Rei, please don't go." Usagi pleaded and pulled herself into a standing position, with Mamoru's help. Once she was sure of her feet, she limped over to Rei as fast as she could. "I'll be right back!" Usagi called over her shoulder to the dark haired man. He merely nodded and watched Usagi hurry to Rei, 'She could barely stand a few moments ago, I wonder if she could be…?" he thought.

Usagi finally caught up with Rei and grabbed her arm to stop the retreating girl, "Rei, you told me there was something you needed to tell me before we were interrupted." Rei nodded her head slightly but kept her back to Usagi.

"Then tell me Rei. Tell me what you wanted to tell me earlier. We won't be interrupted this time and I'll listen to what you have to say." Usagi said and looked at Rei expectantly.

Rei turned around to look at Usagi and smiled at the girl, causing her to smile in return. 'She doesn't have a clue.' Rei thought. "Usagi, I…" Rei started to say when the figure behind Usagi caught her eye, Mamoru. "Usagi, I can't."

"Why?" Usagi asked, sounding frustrated.

"It's not that important." Rei said and turned away from Usagi again.

"Don't lie to me, Rei! It is important, because I can see it's important to you." Usagi said.

Rei stopped and had to force herself to keep looking forward because if she didn't, she knew Usagi's pleas would win and she would tell her everything, 'But Mamoru's back now and I don't stand a chance against him.' "Just forget about it Usagi. Mamoru's back and I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do." Rei said and started to walk away again.

"But Rei, if it's important to you it's important to me too. You can tell me whatever it is, you're my best friend." Usagi pleaded.

Rei unwillingly stopped upon hearing what Usagi said and lowered head, "You don't understand."

"You keep saying that! Why? If you won't tell me, how can I un-understand." Usagi said, her voice breaking a little at the end.

'Great, now all I'm doing is upsetting her.' Rei thought and started to turn back to Usagi but she willed herself to stop. Finally, she realized that Usagi had somehow caught up to her with her bad ankle, "You shouldn't be moving around like this; your going hurt your ankle worse."

"Don't change the subject!" Usagi yelled impatiently. "Please Rei, I'm begging you. Please?" She said softer.

"Please don't ask this of me, Usa." Rei pleaded.

"But why? You were willing to tell me before that youma attacked us. What's changed?" Usagi asked.

"Enough to know that what I wanted to tell you doesn't matter." Rei said dejectedly. 'It won't change anything.' She told herself.

"Why are you saying this?" Usagi asked

"Usagi listen to me, if my friendship means anything to you, you'll let this be. I thought there was something I needed to tell you, but I was wrong. I can't tell you, at least not tonight. Maybe there will be a time in the future when it's right for me to tell you, but that time isn't now. So please, you asked me to trust you earlier and now I ask the same thing of you. Please." Rei pleaded and looked over her shoulder at the other girl. Rei looked at Usagi expectantly and waited for her response. 'Please Usagi; you don't know how hard this is for me.'

"Rei, I do trust you…" Usagi said causing Rei to turn away from her again and even started walking away once more.

"Good, then I'll be…" Rei started to say, but Usagi talked over her.

"…But I want you to promise me we  **will**  finish this conversation sometime." Usagi asked seriously.

Rei stopped and thought for a few moments, 'What do I say? If I do promise her, I'll be able to leave, but it might be a lie. However if I don't, there's no way she'll let me leave and I doubt she'd let this drop. I guess there's really only one I can say.' "I promise" Rei said and started to walk away again, but this time Usagi didn't try to stop her.

Mamoru took this as a sign that it was all right from him to come over. Mamoru walked over to Usagi and stood beside her, "What was that all about?" Mamoru asked cautiously.

Usagi wiped her eyes one more time before speaking, "Rei…I don't know what happened. I know she wanted to tell me something, but she seemed to lose her will after we defeated the youma."

Mamoru nodded his head when he heard Usagi groan softly as she tried to walk again, "I'll help you, so don't try to walk." Mamoru said and gently picked the girl up effortlessly.

Usagi looked up at Mamoru and felt her cheeks warm, "I'm glad you're back, Mamo-chan."

The dark haired man smiled down at her, "It's good to be back."

* * *

Elsewhere…

'It's time, I got things really started.' The woman in black thought and stood. The woman started walking away from her chair, but stopped when she remember something. She walked back to the chair and held her hands over the floor in front of the chair. She chanted some indiscernible words before kneeling down and touching the white surface. A previously unnoticeable trap door appeared. She opened it, reached inside the hole, and pulled out something. Candles lighted the room and the light given off by them shined off the surface of the object, it appeared to be metallic. She pulled back the long black sleeve on her right arm and slid the object on her wrist. 'I can't leave without you.' She thought and looked at the silver bracelet. She closed the door to where she got the object from, chanted some more words, and caused the trap door to disappear again. The woman stood again and began to head back to the door. She stopped when she realized someone was approaching her room at fast pace, 'Don't tell me it's over already.'

"Mistress! The fight has concluded and Saburo is dead, Sailor Moon has killed him. Also, a man arrived at the end of the fight and aided the two senshi." Ryuji called as he charged into the room.

The woman gave Ryuji an irritated look, 'I didn't expect them to finish him off so quickly. I wished to do this and be back before he returned.'

Ryuji looked at her and stepped back from her, 'I've upset her. I didn't expect her to be in the middle of something.' Ryuji then notice her clothing, 'She's leaving…now?'

The woman let her anger subside before speaking, "Ryuji, has Kenjiro recovered yet?"

"Yes." He answered simply.

"I must have a few words with him." She said and Ryuji nodded and turned to leave. He began to leave when he noticed she was following. Usually she preferred Ryuji to bring everyone to her, she wouldn't go the see anyone. Ryuji stopped and prepared to say something, but his companion spoke instead, "I will be going with you." She said in a no nonsense tone. Ryuji nodded and opened to doors again.

When the two left the room and enter the hallway outside, they find it to be filled with a number of youma, all of whom turn to see who was leaving the room. Upon seeing who has left the room all the youma lower their heads and bow before the duo. Another irritated expression crosses the woman in black's features, "Be gone with all you! I do not wish to be surrounded by incompetent fools!"

All the youma that stood bowing, left silently. The only one remaining besides the duo was a youma sitting on the ground near the double door the two had just come through. He was still restrained to the wall behind him, but he was finally awake and looked to have recovered from his injuries. "I only wish to speak with one fool, isn't that right Kenjiro?" Kenjiro looked up at the woman who addressed him with no emotion. "Another of your brothers has failed." She said, but Kenjiro still didn't offer any response. "Do you not care that there is only you and your eldest sibling alive?" She said and waited for his response, but again she didn't get one.

Ryuji clenched his fists at his side and brought his hand back, "Speak when spoken to you bastard!" Ryuji threw his fist at the youma, but the woman beside him put her hand in front of him.

"There is no need for that, Ryuji. Kenjiro can hear me just fine and he will answer me." She said and lowered her hand when Ryuji dropped his fist to his side. "Isn't that right Kenjiro? You understand why I've come to you again."

"You need me for something." Kenjiro said without emotion.

"Correct." She said and knelt in front of Kenjiro, so she could look at him in his eyes, "I have an important assignment for you. I need you to use your special way with be people to provoke Mars into a fight. However, there are some very important rules I need you to follow. This fight must be one on one, so you must make it clear she must fight you alone. The easiest way would be to approach her when she isn't expecting anything and when she is alone."

"Why would she agree to something like that?" Kenjiro asked.

"You can't force her into a fight, but there are other ways. You can use threats." She explained.

"Threats?" Kenjiro asked curiously.

"If you threaten Rei herself it won't work. You need to threaten those around her; those that she cares about, you need to threaten  _her_. And if you do that, she will accept any proposition you give her." She said and gauged his reaction. She smiled, 'I guess you want more incentive then to just fight with her, usually that would be enough.' She examines Kenjiro closer, 'I see, you  _do_  want more of an incentive.' "If you do this for me, I might consider releasing you from your debt to me. I could set you free to do as you wish."

Kenjiro looked at her, 'I can't trust her to keep to her word, but the prospect of being released…that's just too tempting to pass by.' "Do I have your word on that?"

Her smile grew at Kenjiro's question, he couldn't tell if that was good or bad and before he could decipher it her expression changed and she spoke, "Of course."

Kenjiro nodded his head slowly, "I agree then."

The woman stood and spoke again, "That's good to hear, I shall release you from those bonds on your arms." She held her hand out at Kenjiro, "Release." Once the words left her lips, the glow bindings ceased giving off light. The bonds loosened slowly before falling from his wrists. Kenjiro stood and stretched for the first time in a while, he could hear his bones creaking from their stiffness. "Before you leave there is one more rule I need you to follow. The fight must take place at night, preferably tomorrow night. Are we understood?"

"Yes, I understand." Kenjiro said and turned down the hall.

"I expect you to follow my orders this time Kenjiro. I will know if you do not!" The woman called and watched Kenjiro walk away.

Ryuji watched Kenjiro leave and when he was sure the youma could no longer hear, he spoke, "You don't honestly intend to release him, do you?"

The woman at his side laughed, "He is no different then his brothers, he will only be released from me when he dies." Ryuji smiled a little when he heard that, "I must be leaving now. I have something important to do." She said.

"Wouldn't it be better for me to go in your stead?" Ryuji asked.

"No, this is something only I can do." She said.

"Then you're going to see  _her_?" Ryuji asked, but he already knew the answer. There is only one person that would require his leader to leave for…only one person she would not request his presence by her side.

"Yes. I do wish to see the look on her face, when she sees me again." The woman said and smiled at the thought.

Ryuji couldn't understand why she wished to show herself, and to  _her_  of all people. Is it really to their benefit that the Sailor Senshi know she is the one behind everything? 'It's an unnecessary risk.'

"I am fully aware of your concerns, Ryuji, but Pluto will not be an obstacle. I know her  _very_  well and she will not do anything to harm me." She said.

"You seem confident in that. She will not sit back and let you do as you please." Ryuji said.

"True, but she will know better than to fight me in her current state. I do not go to her looking for a fight and she is not one to instigate one." She said assuredly.

"I can still come with you." The youma commented.

"No, you can not. I have another task that only you can perform. I wish for you to be present at Kenjiro's fight." She said.

"Are you sure Mars will accept his offer?" Ryuji asked.

"She will, Kenjiro will use the information he has gathered to provoke her into a fight…a fight she will have no choice but to accept." She said.

"Then this is the final test?" He asked curiously.

"Yes. At the right time, I wish for you to carry out our plan. Everything hinges on you now Ryuji, I trust you to do an excellent job as always." The woman in black said and pulled her hood over her head.

"I will not fail you." Ryuji said and bowed. He kept his head down until he could no longer sense his leader's presence, 'I wonder what has caused her to speed up the plan…' he thought, but shook his head clear the thought away. 'That doesn't really matter anyway. More importantly, this where things really get interesting. I wonder how rough I should be with her…'

* * *

Rei opened her eyes tiredly. 'It feels good to have gotten a long nights' sleep' she thought to herself and sat up. 'What am I going to do now?' she thought and remember the end of the previous night.

" _I promise_."

'How the hell can I make that kind of promise to her? I don't even know if I can keep that promise. I lost my nerve because he came back, so how can I keep that promise to her?' Rei thought and pulled herself out of bed and glanced out the window, wincing at the light the sun gave off. It was a lot brighter than she would expect in the morning. 'I've never promised her something I couldn't keep.' She thought as she still tried to wrap her mind around the previous nights' events. 'Maybe I was never meant to tell her? It was just one interruption after another.'

"Catching up on sleep." Grandpa Hino remarked as he noticed his tired granddaughter exiting her room.

Rei rubbed her eyes tiredly, "What time is it?"

"Quarter to one." He said casually.

Rei's eyes widened, 'How could I have slept so long?' "Why didn't you wake me?"

The elderly man just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I guess this is what I get for going easy on you these past days."

Rei rolled her eyes and rushed back into her room, "You don't need to baby me, Jii-chan. I have duties around here; I won't be a slacker who pushes their duties off on someone else!" she called from her room.

"Yes, you do have duties, duties that I've assigned and duties that I can assign to someone else or do myself. You aren't a slacker Rei and you never will be. I let you rest because I'm sure you needed it, you came back late last night and you looked worn out. It's already almost one and most of the chores have been finished already, so don't worry about any of that. Besides, one of your friends called early this morning and told me that you should be up at that arcade you're always going to, the Crown at three."

'Friend?' Rei thought, "Did the person say who they were?" She was met with silence for a few moments; the elderly man was apparently trying to remember. 'Did he hear me?' Rei thought and slid open the door and spoke louder, "Did the person say who they were?"

"Oh yes, I remember now. Her name was Usagi." The old man called.

'Usagi? I can just imagine why she's calling all of us together…Mamoru.' "And what did you tell her?"

"I told her you'd be there." He said casually.

"And you didn't even ask me?" Rei asked and stepped out of her room, still wearing her sleepwear.

"No, you were sleeping, remember? Besides, I didn't think you would say no to spending time with your friends." Grandpa Hino said. Rei lowered her head in defeat; she couldn't exactly stand her friends up, even if she wasn't the one that agreed to go. Rei sulked back to her room and slid the door shut. "You don't have be so excited you know? I thought you would like to spend time with your friends without having to worry about coming home to finish any chores."

Normally she would love to go out and meet her friends, but she didn't want to face Usagi, not yet at least. She didn't want to listen to Usagi discuss, what was inevitably why she was calling a meeting at the Crown. She would have been perfectly content to remain at the jinja and do chores, or really anything to get her mind off what happened last night. Well, anything but a fire reading, she wasn't ready to do one of those again so soon after the last one. Rei sighed and opened her dresser to pick out her cloths for the day.

2 hours later…

Rei entered the arcade earlier than she was asked to, but she always preferred to be early rather than late. Anyway, if she started showing up late, she couldn't make fun of Usagi for always being late. "Hi Motoki-san." She called to the man at the register.

"Oh hi Rei, where are the other girls?" he asked.

"They're on their way." Rei said when right cue she heard the bell on the entrance rang, signaling more customers just entered. Rei turned to see who it was when she heard a familiar voice.

"Great, you're here already Rei-chan." Usagi said and walked over to the dark haired girl. Rei frowned when she saw Usagi had a slight limp, but it was very noticeable to Rei it was. She also saw that Usagi was flanked by three other friends.

They all greeted each other and once that was done Makoto suggested, "Why don't we all sit down?" All of them agreed and they walked over to their usual booth.

"Let's order something first, I'm starving." Usagi said when everyone was seated.

Minako looked over to Rei, expecting some comment about Usagi's eating habits, but none came. 'She looks a little depressed' Minako observed. Rei sat with her head lowered a bit and her eyes focused on her hands. 'Maybe things didn't go too well last night.' She thought worriedly. It was strange though, Usagi was acting normal, she even seemed happier then she'd been in a while, but that didn't match up with Rei's mood. 'What happened last night?'

Their orders were taken by Motoki and while they waited for their orders to arrive Ami decided to start up a conversation about why they met after school, "So Usagi, what is it that you wanted to tell us?"

"Yeah Usagi. You said there was something you wanted to tell us, but you wanted to wait until we all got here. So spill it already." Makoto said eagerly.

Usagi smiled at her two friends' eagerness, "Actually, I'm waiting for one more person to come."

Minako tore her eyes away from her raven-haired friend when Usagi said that, "One more person? Who?"

"Well I wanted it to be a surprise for when he got here, but…" Usagi said and paused to 'heighten the suspense'.

Minako looked over to Rei; she had her eyes shut as if she wouldn't be able to hear Usagi if she didn't have her eyes open. It was then Minako realized what was going on, 'It makes sense now, Usagi must be talking about…'

"We're waiting for Mamo-chan" Usagi finished.

"Usagi, that's…" Makoto started to say, but the sudden motion of Rei standing stopped her.

"I'm sorry guys, I don't feel so well. I think I should go home." Rei said and darted for the exit to the Crown, before anyone could do anything to stop her.

Minako and Usagi held worried looks on face, while Ami and Makoto both looked confused. "What was…?" Makoto started to say, only to be cut off again this time by Minako.

"I'll go after her." Minako said and stood up. Minako hurried to the door when she realized Usagi was beside her. For a second Minako thought she was going to tell to stay behind and she would go after her, but she remembered what she said a few moments before, Mamoru was coming and she wasn't likely to leave before he came.

"Minako, please find her quickly. I think she might be mad at me. She seemed different after Mamo-chan arrived last night; it was like she couldn't get away from me fast enough." Usagi said disappointedly.

"I'll find her in no time. Maybe I can even get her to come back." Minako said hopefully.

"Please do and let me know whether she's alright. I don't think she was being very honest about her reason for leaving." Usagi worriedly.

Minako smiled at Usagi, "I sure it wasn't anything big, but I'll let you know anyway, ok?"

"Thanks Minako." Usagi said and went back to Ami and Makoto. Minako couldn't hear them, but she could tell they were asking her about what that was all about. She noticed Usagi shrug her shoulders and say something that caused the other girls to nod.

'I should get going before Rei gets too far away for me to catch up.' Minako thought and took off through the door, not noticing Usagi glancing in her direction as she left.

* * *

'Think. I just need to figure out the right direction she went in.' Minako thought and let her instincts take over. Minako looked to her left, 'that way.' The blonde haired girl headed into that direction. 'I don't think she transformed or anything, so I should be able to catch up to her quickly.' Minako scanned the sidewalk, 'This would be easier if there weren't so many people out now.' She sighed when she didn't find her after the first pass over the crowd. 'Maybe I should transform, it would be easier to find her then.' Minako thought when someone with long dark hair caught her eye, 'Good I'm a little surprised she didn't get further away, but she made this a lot easier than I thought it would be.'

Minako walked up quietly behind the girl, "You didn't tell her." It was more of statement than a question. Minako was getting concerned, Rei promised her she would tell Usagi and then she didn't. 'Rei has never been the kind of person to break promises.' Minako waited few seconds to see Rei's response, but she was only met with silence from her companion. "Rei please." Minako pleaded.

"No, I didn't." Rei said simply and quickened her pace.

Minako quickly matched the new pace Rei set, "Why? You promised!"

"Things changed." Rei said quietly.

"Why, because Mamoru is back? You love her, right? Don't you think Usagi deserves to know as much?" Minako asked.

"Don't Minako!" Rei said and looked at Minako, but turned away when she added, "Mamoru is back and it'll be as it's always been. I'll fight for her as her bodyguard and as nothing more. I can't hope for more, not anymore." Rei said dejectedly.

"How can you give up without even trying?" Minako asked.

"I did try! I learned it wasn't meant to be." Rei said.

"Don't say that! I can't stand seeing you like this. This is not the kind of person you are, you don't just give up without a fight." Minako said

"You weren't there Minako! You didn't see the look in her eyes when she saw Mamoru again!" Rei yelled, drawing the attention of a number of other pedestrians. Rei glared at everyone around her that was currently looking at her. She wasn't in the mood to deal with stares from people she didn't even know, "Do you people have a problem?" Rei asked angrily causing the majority of people to turn away from her, most out of fear Rei invoked in them.

Minako hurriedly grabbed Rei's arm and pulled her down the street before she could start a fight. "Calm down, Rei."

Rei could feel tears fill her eyes against her will, "She'll never look at me like that." Rei said sadly. "I can't take this Minako. I can't listen to her talking about Mamo-chan this, Mamo-chan that. I just can't." The dark haired girl could feel the tears she tried to hold back start to fall. Rei put her hand over her face to hide her tears from her friend.

Minako looked at Rei sadly, 'I wish I could do more for you. I want to take this pain away from you.' Minako stepped forward, wrapped her arms around her friend, and held her in a tender embrace. Rei dropped her hand from her face and instead buried her face into Minako's shoulder. "It's alright. It's okay to cry if you need to." Minako said. Rei remained silent, but Minako could feel her cry harder so she held her tighter. "I know how hard this is for you. I know that, believe me, but  _you_  have to tell her. This won't get any better if everything remains how it is."

Rei's her tears slowed enough for her to speak again, "Why? Just so she can tell me that she loves Mamoru. I can't do that. I couldn't possibly stand a chance now that he's come back to her."

Minako shook her head, "I wish you would stop selling yourself short. You're an amazing person."

"I'm an amazingly weak person." Rei said quietly and pulled away from Minako.

"No you're not! Do you think that just because your heart has chosen someone you think you can't have? You can't choose who you fall for, Rei."

"I know that already. If I had a choice in the matter, I would have fallen for someone easier; someone I know can love me back. I was honestly ready to tell her last night, Minako. I was truly prepared to do it, but it was as if something would always get in my way to stop me. First was the youma…" Rei said and was interrupted.

"The two of you fought a youma?" Minako asked.

"Yeah. I thought Usagi would have told you guys." Rei said, 'Maybe planned on telling everyone at the crown when Mamoru came.' She thought. "That's not important anyway…"

"What do mean that's not important? You were attacked again, and you say it's not important!" Minako said. 'I don't like this, they're attacks are too focused. They're focused on Rei, why?'

"It isn't important, I've handled myself well enough and if this is the only thing the enemy can throw at us, we'll be rid of these guys in no time." Rei said confidently.

"I don't think so…" Minako thought aloud, "I don't think you should engage the enemy for a little while."

"What? Why not?"

"Think about it Rei, where have the attacks been directed? They haven't tried to do anything on a larger scale and their attacks aren't random."

"What are you trying to say? You don't honestly think I'm being targeted for some reason, do you?"

"Yes I do, so I think it would be best for you to avoid battles until we can sort this out." Minako said seriously.

"I can't do that, Minako. I have to fight to protect Usagi, that's my duty."

"You're right, but I also have a duty other than watching out for our Princess. I have a duty watch out for my fellow senshi as well. So as leader the Princess bodyguard I hereby order to avoid any and all battles to the best of your ability until further notice." Minako said authoritatively.

"You can't…" Rei started to say, but Minako spoke over her.

"I can, you know I have the authority to do this." Minako said seriously. She noticed Rei's upset expression and lightened her tone when she added, "I'm not taking away your henshin stick or anything Rei. If you are put into a situation where you need to fight, you still can, but I just don't want you to throw yourself into a fight that can be handled by the rest of us. I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't think it was necessary."

"You can go back to the Crown, Minako." Rei said without emotion.

"Please don't be mad at me for this, I'm just looking out for you here." She asked.

"I think I'll be going home to sort through my thoughts, alone." Rei said and turned away from Minako.

"Alright, I'll tell everyone you weren't feeling well." Minako said and Rei nodded her head before away.

'This is for the best for now Rei; you'll see that when you calm down a little.' Minako thought and turned back into the direction of the Crown. 'I don't want to see you get hurt. We don't have a clue about what this enemy is plotting and I don't like their interest in you Rei.' Minako began walking back to the Crown, but continued to think about their current situation.

* * *

Rei enter the jinja and before she could say anything she heard her Grandfather call for her, "Rei you have a visitor!"

'A visitor? But everyone is at the crown.' Rei thought. "Alright Jii-chan, who is it?" Rei asked as she approached the direction that her grandfather's voice was coming from. Rei stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was standing with her grandfather. 'Mamoru?'

"This gentleman." Grandpa Hino said gesturing to the man standing at his right. "I'll be leaving then." Grandpa Hino said as he left Rei alone with the visitor.

"Hello Rei." Mamoru said casually.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting Usagi at the Crown?" Rei questioned.

"I am going there, but I wanted to speak with you about something first." Mamoru said.

"What would you need to speak with me about?" Rei asked.

"Usagi." Mamoru stated simply.

Rei did her best to hide her surprise and remain neutral outwardly, but she didn't think she did that well of a job, "Wh-What about her?" Rei asked cautiously.

"Last night, she was in real danger and if I didn't arrive when I did she could have been hurt or worse." Mamoru said and Rei lowered her head regretfully as she recalled the previous night's events. "I expected you of all people to have protected her, instead I return to find her in a life or death situation!" Mamoru said heatedly.

"I have been protecting her! And who the hell are you to talk! You left her without any notice! Have you even tried to maintain contact with her? Actually, you don't need to answer that because I already know the answer. You haven't! You haven't even spoken with her since you left, and yet you proceed to chastise me! Do you know how much you've made her cry? Do you even care?" Rei said angrily. She wasn't in the mood to talk with him, and she definitely didn't feel like holding back. She felt powerless last night and he had no right to remind her of that, of her failure. If he wanted to talk about Usagi then he'd have to hear her anger of what he did to her.

"Of course I care! I know I hurt her, but I wouldn't have done it if I didn't have the best of intentions…" Mamoru responded.

" _Best of intentions_? How the hell can you stand here and tell me that hurting her was for the best? You don't know a damn thing!" Rei said disgustedly.

"I do know! I know how she feels better than anyone, even better she does herself." Mamoru said.

"Then why? Why do you continually cause her pain?" Rei asked angrily. Her eyes were now brimming with unshed tears, tears of anger, tears of sadness, tears of pent-up frustration, and tears for her hopeless heart.

"I never meant to cause her any pain." Mamoru admitted.

"Well you have!" Rei yelled. "If it were me, I would never make her cry…" Rei added in a whisper.

"What?" Mamoru said quickly.

"Just leave me alone, I don't have anything more I wish to say to you." Rei said more calmly and turned away from Mamoru.

Mamoru grabbed her arm before she could walk away, "Wait! What do mean?"

Rei pulled her arm away from Mamoru's grip, "I do not want to nor do I have to explain myself to you, Mamoru-san. Please leave my home; I don't think I can stand to be in your presence any longer."

"You can't just say something like that and tell me to leave. I want to know what you mean." Mamoru said.

"I can and I have. I'm asking you to leave and for you to have the decency to respect my wishes. So, I'll ask you one more time Mamoru-san, leave." Rei said firmly.

Mamoru looked at Rei and opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. The tall man turned away from the miko and took a few steps the exit, away from Rei. "I didn't mean to upset you; that wasn't my intention." Mamoru said and took a few more steps.

"What ever your intentions have been recently, you don't seem to be having any luck in choosing the right thing to do." Rei said and waited for him to say something else, but for whatever reason he remained silent and exited the shrine.

* * *

'That definitely could have gone better.' Mamoru thought and ran his fingers through his short black hair. 'That's what I get for losing myself like that. Maybe it would have been best to go to Usagi first. At least I can predict her reactions, Rei is another story entirely.' He thought and sighed loudly. 'At least I think I've confirmed what I've been thinking.' Mamoru thought and looked at his watch, 'I can't stay here though. I should have been at the Crown ten minutes ago.' Mamoru looked back that shrine one more time, 'I am sorry if I upset you, but it was necessary. You keep your emotions bottled up too much Rei.' Turning away from the shrine, he began down the stairs to his car parked on the street below.

* * *

'I can't believe he had the audacity to say that to me. I've always protected Usagi with all my strength.  _He_  leaves her and he dares to insinuate I wasn't protecting her to the best of my abilities?' Rei clenches her fists at her sides in an effort to hold back her emotions. She had finally calmed herself after talking to Minako and now this conversation with Mamoru just made all those emotions come back.

Rei walked to the shrine entrance and called, "I'm going out for a walk, Jii-chan!"

She didn't know if that would help, but she wanted to do something to cool down. She wished she had a punching bag sometimes for times like this because she didn't intend to do what she did the other day, that wasn't healthy for her body. Rei hurried to her room to grab some spare money encase she got hungry, since she wasn't exactly sure when she would be coming back home. Just before she reached her room, Rei stopped when she felt something. Something was…wrong. She looked intently at the door, 'Something's there.' Rei thought.

* * *

Setsuna was sitting in her study reading; she made herself scarce since Michiru returned. 'They've been apart long enough and I know they would rather be alone even though they might not say it.' She thought to herself. She wasn't called the solitary solider for nothing, but she certainly didn't regret her time she could spend away from the Gates of Time. She knew all too well that she couldn't stay away from them forever, 'They have always been and will always be my destiny.'

"That's not true." A voice echoed through the previously silent study.

"Who's there?" Setsuna asked quickly.

"Hmph.  _'Who'_ you say? Oh ageless guardian of time, how quickly you forget." The voice echoed through out the room.

"Show yourself, now!" Setsuna demanded and rose from her chair. Setsuna started to reach into her desk when the voice spoke again.

"I don't think you'll be needing that…Pluto." The voice said and paused, "Besides, it's not there." Setsuna glanced at the drawer and saw that this person was right. Her henshin stick wasn't in there. "Don't you know anything…" the voice said and a shadow in the corner of the room started to take form. After a few more moments the shadow's true form became that of a person; a person holding Pluto's henshin stick, "…This should never leave your person. You're getting careless." The person said and threw the henshin stick at Setsuna. Setsuna caught the stick and prepared to transform when the person talked again, "I told you there is no need for that."

"Who are you?" Setsuna asked cautiously. She also kept ready to transform at a moment's notice. This person unnerved her, 'How can someone just appear before me like this? How is it possible that this person knows more about me than I do about them?' The person was dressed entirely in black and even had a hood to cover their face. Setsuna couldn't even tell if this person was a man or a woman, the only thing she had to go on was the voice. Even though the voice sounded feminine, she couldn't say for sure, the clothes the person wore made it almost impossible to determine their gender.

"You wish to know who I am?" the person asked.

"Yes, that is what I asked you." Setsuna said. Something about this person threw her senses off, 'Only one other person has ever done that to me…but this person can't be her. She just can't be…'

"I can see you don't like it when you're not the one in a position of knowledge." The person observed. "Do you wish me to enlighten you then?" the person said as the person reached for their hood, "Do you wish me to confirm what you're thinking?" the person said and observed Setsuna's reaction.

'She can read my thoughts?' Setsuna questioned herself.

"Yes, Pluto I can. I can read yours quite well in fact. You've never been able to hide anything from me." The person said, their hands remaining on their hood.

The person started moving closer and when the person did, Setsuna noticed something she hadn't seen in a long time. Around the wrist of the person, Setsuna could see the shine of a silver bracelet, "You can't be…" Setsuna said and backed away a few steps.

"Oh I am…and if you need further proof." The person said and finally pulled back her hood to reveal her face fully to Setsuna.

Setsuna nearly fell over at the face she saw. She backed even further away and shook her head, "There's no way…you can't be her."

End Ch. 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot that happens in this chapter that is important for the rest of the story, and without a doubt towards the top of those events is the final scene of the chapter.


	19. … Sarawareta Mars!

Chapter 19 – … Sarawareta Mars!

* * *

"There's no way…you can't be her…"

"You still keep saying that, even after all I've shown you? Look at me…look at this!" She commanded and held her wrist up to Setsuna. "You know there is no one else that could have this."

Setsuna stared at the woman wrist, 'That's…'

* * *

Flashback ?? years ago

Pluto stood over a young girl with short black hair and looked down at her fondly. The girl was dressed in a long black dress that fit her body snugly. She was well developed even though she could be no older than sixteen years old. Pluto, on the other hand, was dressed in a uniform reminiscent of her Sailor fuku.

"I'm not really supposed to do this, but…" Pluto said removed a silver bracelet from her left wrist. "Give me your left hand." She commanded. The young girl did as commanded and Pluto put the silver band around her wrist.

"Y-You're giving this to me?" She asked, clearly taken aback.

Pluto nodded her head slightly, "Yes. Think of it as a congratulatory present on finishing your training."

The girl's eyes filled with tears and she ran to Pluto and wrapped her arms around the taller woman, Pluto responded in kind. The girl buried her face into Pluto's chest, "Thank you. Thank you." She whispered over and over again.

"Just don't tell anyone, okay?" Pluto said and roughed up the young girl's hair.

"Hai, I won't Plu-chan." She chirped and added seriously, "I'll treasure it forever…"

End Flashback

* * *

Setsuna stopped her retreat, 'How can she be here? How could I have not known?' Setsuna was in a state of shock; she couldn't seem to find her voice anymore either. Setsuna looked the woman over, there was no doubt, 'She's older, but there's no doubt. But still, how?'

"There are variables to every situation, you told me that once or have you forgotten? Nothing is certain. Or was that all a lie to let me think we weren't all bound by destiny?" She said and stepped even closer to Setsuna, extending her hand as she did.

"Don't come any closer!" Setsuna yelled and backed further away, out of the woman's reach.

"Now that's rather harsh. You run away from my touch even after all this time. I guess time can't heal  _all_ wounds can it, Plu-chan?" She said with a sinister smile.

"Don't you dare call me that! You lost your right to call me that after what you tried to do!" Setsuna said angrily.

"You're still this upset over that? She survived that didn't she? Well, that is thanks to you, that girl, and  **her**." She said, adding a resentful tone at the end. She stopped her approach of the taller woman, but Setsuna continued to eye her cautiously.

"How could you think I wouldn't still be upset over that? You betrayed me..." Setsuna said sounding hurt.

"I never betrayed you. Everything I did, I did  _for_  you."

"You still say that? I never asked you to do anything for me! I was perfectly fine with my place in everything." Setsuna said.

"And you're still saying that lie. I guess you can't be honest with me until I free you." The woman said with an evil smirk.

"What are you saying?" Setsuna asked, fearing the other woman's response.

"I think you know what I'm saying…the only way to shatter the bonds of destiny is through death. I think you know whose life I seek."

'Usagi!' Setsuna's eyes widened and they held emotions she hadn't truly felt in a long time; they held shock and fear. "I won't let you!"

"Pluto Planet…!"

The other woman sighed and moved like quick silver. She was beside Setsuna in an instant and grabbed her hand and covered her mouth with her other hand before she could finish her henshin phrase. Setsuna looked at her arm, where the other woman held it and glared at it. The woman uttered some inaudible words and Setsuna looked at her in shock, she tried to say something but her words were only muffled by the hand covering her lips.

The woman just smiled and finished her chant by saying, "Stop." The woman released Setsuna and walked around Setsuna so she was standing behind her. Setsuna tried to move her arm, but found it to be frozen. Despite knowing the uselessness of it, she tried to move her leg, but as before, she found herself frozen in place. "Now, that's much better." The woman said and smiled again. She reached up and moved Setsuna's long green hair off the back of her neck and placed it over her right shoulder. She slowly moved closer to Setsuna exposed neck before pausing for a moment to speak, "You know with you in this position there are so many things I can think of doing…" she said lustfully and moved her lips even closer to her neck before stopping mere centimeters away from her skin, "…but it wouldn't be any fun if you weren't a willing participant." She said and pulled away. "Which brings us back to the matter at hand…"

Setsuna finally felt a little more at ease when she could feel the other woman wasn't as near, "Why do you aim for the Princess' life? She's never done anything to you."

"You must know if I just wished for her demise, she would be dead already. However, such a death is too simple, too quick, for  **her**  daughter."

"How dare you speak of her in such as disrespectful manner?" Setsuna said.

"I've already immobilized you, don't make me silence you as well." The woman warned and waited a moment to see if Setsuna was going to say anything else, when she didn't she continued. "As I was saying, I wish for her to suffer. Death is quick and once it's done, that's it, there's nothing more. I can't derive any satisfaction merely from death. However, if I can insure she suffers, not only physical pain, but emotional, I can truly be satisfied knowing she suffered so."

"What the hell have you become?" Setsuna asked.

"Nothing more then I was made to be." The woman replied with no emotion.

"I never taught you be a cold and sadistic killer."

"I'm not here to discuss the past because that's all it is, the past. The past is something that can not be changed, its events have already happened and for better or for worse we must live with it." The woman said somewhat sadly. "The future on the other hand is not set, you most of all must know this. There are many variables in the threads of time, but all lead to some point in the future. That's something you told me, right? If something comes along and servers all of those threads, what future can we expect?"

"That's not possible. Once a thread has been started, it can't be severed by any mortal. To suggest that one can sever all of the threads of time is impossible." Setsuna said.

"I have to disagree. Even the strongest threads can be broken when enough pressure is applied. I'm proof of that." The woman said waited to see Setsuna reaction, but she didn't get one. The woman gathered that either she was thinking it over or was at a loss for words; which ever it was the woman continued, "You didn't see my coming and I've used that to my advantage. You must remember the first step; you looked into the Gates for insight into the threat on Earth. You didn't get any information on that, did you? Of course you didn't. Instead, you were given the impression that a soldier would soon jeopardize the future, and you weren't at all wrong. I let you take that information and do as you pleased, however even I didn't know you would you aid me as much as you've done."

"What do you mean? You can't manipulate the Gates." Setsuna said. She was unsure of where this was going, but knew it wasn't going to be anything she wanted to hear.

"You're right, I can't manipulate the Gates, but I didn't have to. The mind is far easier to manipulate, you assumed the conclusions you came to were your own?" The woman said and walked in front of Setsuna again, "Did you ever doubt yourself? Did you ever wonder if what you were doing was right?"

Setsuna stared at her in shock. Her own thoughts resurfaced in her mind, 'If I doubt myself, what can I believe in?'

"Yes, if you can't trust your own thoughts, where does that leave you? Yet you continued to press on despite that small doubt. You went and did something unnecessary; you called the Prince back to Tokyo. You forced me to speed up my plans, but as it turns out this may be for the best. For even as we speak, I've set into motion the unstoppable events that will lead to the downfall of this destiny that has bound everyone for far too long."

"What do you mean? What are you planning?" Setsuna demanded.

"Shh…" the woman said and put her forefinger to Setsuna's lips, "If I tell you everything that will ruin the surprise, and I can't have that." She pulled her hand away when she realized Setsuna wanted to say something.

"Have you not learned anything? The past is for that too, you should learn from it. I believe I taught you that as well." Setsuna said.

"I have learned from the past. I've learned not to underestimate my opponents, no matter how insignificant they seem to be." The woman said her hand subconsciously the back of her thigh through her black clothing. "I've learned the extinction of the Serenity blood line is the key to freedom."

"What will it take for you to stop this madness?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." The woman replied.

"That's not possible." Setsuna said firmly.

"Then it's as I expected. You can't think for yourself until you've been freed." She said and started to back away slowly. "It's been so long and yet you haven't changed one bit."

"Stop this!"

"This doesn't stop until the Moon Princess is dead." The woman said and backed away until she was one with the room's shadows once again.

Once the woman's presence had completely vanished Setsuna could feel she was free to move again. She dropped her henshin stick and walked unsteadily over to the desk she was sitting at just a short time ago. She slammed her fist as hard as she could in to, "Damn it! I was helpless before her again. How the Hell can she be here?" She said and slammed her fist into the desk again. After the seconded slam resonated through the room the door open with a loud boom.

"Setsuna, what's going on down here? I heard some noises coming from down here." Haruka yelled and ran into the room when she saw Setsuna.

Setsuna looked up at Haruka, "We need to talk about some things." She said seriously.

* * *

Yuuichirou was walking down the hallway that would lead him past Rei's room when the sight of Rei standing by her door caught his eye. 'I wonder what she's looking at.' He thought and slowly approached the girl. He walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. Rei reacted almost instantly by shifting her weight away from where she felt the person causing him to stumble forward a little. Before he could react, Rei was behind him and holding him against the wall, demanding to know who he was.

"Calm down, Rei it's just me." Yuuichirou said franticly. Yuuichirou breathed a sigh of relief when he felt Rei release him, 'Where did she learn something like that? She moved before I could do anything.'

"What the Hell are you doing, coming up behind me like that?" Rei yelled.

Yuuichirou turned to Rei, "I'm sorry, I was just worried."

"You don't need to be worried; I don't need anyone to be worried about me." Rei snapped. She'd already had enough when it came to people worrying about her for one day.

"You know people only feel like that because they care about you." Yuuichirou said, but Rei remained quiet. Every so often, she would glance at the door beside them and soon this drew Yuuichirou's attention. "Why were you staring so intently at this door?" Yuuichirou asked when they heard a voice from the other side of the door. Both of them looked at the door at that time.

"I'll go check it out." Rei said and started towards the door when Yuuichirou stepped in front of her.

"I don't think so. I'll go see and you wait here." Yuuichirou said.

"No, I'll do it. It's my room." Rei said determinedly.

Yuuichirou knew how Rei could be and therefore knew there would be no going in there without her. Yuuichirou took and deep breathe and decided a compromise would be best, "Why don't we go in there together then?"

"Fine." Rei said, but she still sounded a little annoyed. The two headed to the door and when they reached it Rei spoke again, "I'll go in first." She said in a very serious tone. 'Whatever's beyond this door…it doesn't feel human.'

Yuuichirou wasn't given much of a choice because right after Rei spoke she slid open the door and slipped inside. Yuuichirou quickly followed behind, but he didn't get far because Rei was only a few steps inside the room when she stopped. Rei was staring straight ahead and Yuuichirou followed her eyes to see where she was looking.

Sitting in the middle of the room was a rather disheveled looking man. He sat cross-legged and with his head down, so his face was not very visible. 'He looks like a homeless man…' Yuuichirou thought. "I'm sorry, but if you're looking for a place to rest you have to go to a different part of the jinja." He said, but the man gave no response.

Yuuichirou started to walk toward the man, but Rei grabbed his arm, "Don't approach him." Yuuichirou looked and Rei and back to the man, who was lifting his head up. The seated man glared at Yuuichirou, but when his gaze traveled to Rei, a sinister smirk crossed his lips.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Yuuichirou asked and stood protectively in front of Rei. Rei gave him an irritated look, but didn't say anything.

"I'm merely a fan, just a fan of the great Miko that resides here, the great fire seer Hino Rei." He replied.

'That voice…he's the youma from the hospital.' Rei thought to herself.

"Be that as it may, visitors are not allowed in this part of the jinja." Yuuichirou stated.

"What?" the man said, sounding irritated. "I came here to speak with the great Miko of this shrine, not to exchange words with a simple human. If you don't cease your false bravery I will become angered and you do  **not**  want that." He said and started to rise.

Yuuichirou was about to make another comment when Rei spoke up, "Leave us, Yuuichirou."

Yuuichirou turned to Rei and whispered, "I'm not going to leave you alone with this stalker."

"This is not your choice here, Yuuichirou." Rei said and stared at Yuuichirou until he backed down, which he did reluctantly.

Rei watched Yuuichirou as he made his way to the door but he stopped before leaving and spoke to Rei again, "I don't think this is good idea." Rei didn't say anything but continued to watch Yuuichirou leave. Finally, Yuuichirou stepped through the door and slid it shut, allowing Rei to devote her full attention to the unwelcome intruder.

"Do me a favor and get rid of that ridiculous disguise." Rei said disgustedly, 'It's just one unwelcome visitor after another today.' She thought to herself.

"As you wish, it's not as though I enjoy posing as a human." Kenjiro said and a dark light filled the room for a few seconds. When the light faded, Kenjiro stood before Rei as she saw him the other night.

"What is it that you want? I'm sure you didn't come here to chat." Rei said seriously and started to reach into her kimono.

Kenjiro smiled at the girl's forthcoming tone, "I  _am_  here to talk in fact. So you can take her hand off you henshin wand."

"I think I'm comfortable the way I am." Rei responded, but Minako's words echoed her mind.

"So as leader the Princess bodyguard I hereby order to avoid any and all battles to the best of your ability until further notice."

'I won't transform unless I need to, but I still have that threat.'

"Suit yourself." Kenjiro said and started walking around the room, as if he was inspecting his surroundings. Rei eyed him warily as he walked. "Is this your room?" Kenjiro asked and grabbed a photo frame from the dresser.

"Get your filthy hands off of that." She said seriously.

Kenjiro smiled at her again before smashing the frame against the dresser. He brushed aside the shattered glass and removed the photo, "I see…" he said and examined the picture, "…your friends." He said as a statement rather then a question.

"If you don't let go of that I'll…" Rei started to threaten, but Kenjiro interrupted her before she could finish.

Kenjiro torn his eyes off the photo and looked at Rei, "Don't make threats you can't back up. I'm merely trying to start up a conversation here and you resort to threatening me."

"Don't make me laugh, creatures like you don't have any interest in talking. Just say what you came here to say before I take my frustrations out on you." Rei said and glared the youma with hatred in her eyes.

"Frustrations? Don't tell me everything isn't perfect in the life of the Sailor Senshi?" Kenjiro said with a smirk.

Rei tightened her grip on her henshin stick, 'He's just trying to provoke me.' She told herself and loosened her grip a little. "Why don't you just come here to say what you wanted to say and leave?"

Kenjiro cocked his head to the side, "Is something wrong? I seem to remember you being one to jump into a fight, what's with your hesitation today? I hear you didn't hesitate when you killed my brother last night."

"What?"

"You must remember it was only last night." Kenjiro said.

'I didn't kill any youma last night…Usagi did. Is that what this is about? Better me then Usagi.' Rei thought to herself. "Oh, you mean that coward of a youma was related to you?"

"Yes, and despite being an idiot, he was still my blood and I'll have my revenge for him." Kenjiro said confidently. "In fact, I have a proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" Rei asked.

Kenjiro smiled sinisterly, "It's simple. You're a nuisance. A nuisance that must be eliminated, but I'm a fair man." Kenjiro said noticed the disgusted look  
Rei gave him. "…So to speak. I am willing to give you a fair fight, a one on one fight. I chose the location, though."

"And if I refuse…"

"I was hoping you would ask that. If you refuse I will personally take away what is precious to you. It would be so easy too. If someone with your senses could not notice me until I let you, someone with no ability to sense presences would be too easy. Do you think a Princess' bleeds as normal humans do?"

"I'll kill you if you try to lay one finger on her."

"Then, you accept…" Kenjiro said quietly.

Rei didn't even take time to think it over, 'I won't let him get away with threatening Usagi.' "Just tell me when and where." She said in a deathly calm voice.

The youma smiled again, "I'm glad, this time there will be no interruptions. You agree to that stipulation?"

"Just tell me when and where!" Rei said angrily.

"Fine, tonight at seven your time, in Ichinohashi Park. You do know where that is?"

"Of course I know where that is! Now leave, before I decide to start it right here." Rei ordered.

Kenjiro smiled again, "I don't think you'd that, but I guess it is time that I took my leave. I will be eagerly awaiting our next encounter." he said and disappeared in flash of dark light.

A moment later Yuuichirou burst through the door, "Are you alright?"

Rei turned and looked annoyed by Yuuichirou's rather loud entrance. "What do you want Yuuichirou?"

"I just wanted to know if you're alright. He didn't do anything to you did he?"

Rei walked over to her futon and sat down heavily on it and put head in her hands, "No." she said quietly. Rei waited for a few minutes and expect Yuuichirou to leave, but she realized that he was still there, "Is there something else?"

"Umm…" he mumbled. 'Should I ask her about what I heard?'

"What is it?" Rei asked, a little irritated by his lack of an answer.

"Rei-san, umm…why are you meeting that guy again?"

"What are you saying?" Rei asked quickly, but maintained her calm exterior for the most part.

"Well, I kinda overheard…"

"You were eavesdropping!" Rei stood up and yelled.

Yuuichirou put up his hands defensively, "No, that wasn't it. I just happened to hear the end, where that guy that you would meet again tonight."

'Damn it, he wasn't supposed to hear any of that.' Rei thought. "It's none of your concern; this is just something that I need to do."

"What do you mean? You can't just go and do this by yourself!"

"This is not up for discussion. You would do best to forget anything you heard." Rei said and sat back down.

"What? This is something the police should handle."

'The police?' She could almost laugh at the notion, that would only raise the death toll. "Listen to me; if I don't do this, there are worse things that could happen. I have to do this and that the end of this discussion." Rei said with a tone of finality at the end.

"But…"

"No, buts and this does not leave this room got it."

"You want me to lie just so you go and put yourself in danger?" Yuuichirou asked.

"No, I'm telling you to keep this to yourself. If care about me, even a little bit, you  **will**  keep this to yourself." Rei said seriously.

"Rei…" Yuuichirou started to say, but Rei spoke over him.

"Tell me you'll keep this to yourself."

Yuuichirou looked at Rei, 'She's serious, but how can I…' he thought.

"Yuuichirou…" Rei said.

He bowed his head to spoke, "Fine, but I still don't agree with this."

"You don't have agree; just keep your word." Rei said and sighed. "Could you leave me, then? I think I need to rest." Yuuichirou kept his head low and exited the room, wordlessly. 'Please don't be upset with me Minako. Putting my safety ahead of Usagi's is just something I can't do.' Rei thought before she closed her eyes and fell back on to her futon to try and sort her mind through everything.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Makoto and Ami asked together when Usagi returned to their booth with a worried expression.

When Usagi heard the question, she flashed them a bright smile, but her two friends knew her well enough to know that wasn't one of her real smiles. "I'm not too sure, but Minako will find her and let us know if she's alright." Usagi said and the other two girls nodded their heads slowly. Even as she finished her answer, Usagi glanced back at the door to see Minako leaving.

The girls were silent for a few minutes when Motoki brought over their orders, "Here ya go." He said and noticed the booth was minus two people, "Where did Minako-chan and Rei-chan go?"

None of the girls seemed eager to answer his question, but finally Makoto spoke up, "They went outside, but they should be back soon."

"Oh, well I hope you girls enjoy your orders." Motoki said and went back to work.

Again, the booth was silent, except for the occasional sipping of soda. Ami watched Usagi as she played with another french-fry. 'She's barely touched her food even though she said she was so hungry earlier.' Ami thought. Ami put down her drink and finally decided to ask what was on her mind, "You're worried about her, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Usagi asked looking up from her food.

"Did you even hear anything I said Usagi?" Ami asked, but she only meet Usagi's confused gaze.

"I'm sorry, I must have zoned out for a minute there." Usagi apologized.

"Usagi, it's alright to be worried. We're a little worried too, right Ami?" Makoto said, picking up where Ami left off.

"Yeah, Minako will find her and get to come back with her so we can see what's wrong." Ami added.

"Thanks guys. I guess we just have to wait then." Usagi said and added a smile at the end, bringing a smiled to the other girl's faces as well.

After that Usagi seemed to eat more and both Ami and Makoto looked relieved at that. When all three had already finished their orders and there was still no sign of Minako or Rei, all three girls could feel the worry increase at the booth once again.

"It shouldn't be taking this long should it?" Usagi asked Ami and Makoto.

Neither girl knew what to say and now they were both starting to get worried as well. Finally, Makoto spoke up, "Maybe I should…" she started offer when they heard the bell at the door. All three girls looked up at the entrance to see Minako walking into the Crown. They kept looking, expecting Rei to follow in behind her, but she was alone.

Minako made her way over to the booth she knew her friends were at and put on one of her perfect smiles when she got there. "I'm sorry guys I guess Rei really wasn't feeling well. I didn't try to make her come back." Minako said apologetically. She looked to each girl to gauge her reaction, both Ami and Makoto seemed to reluctantly accept what Minako said after a little thought, after all why would Minako lie? Usagi seemed even more reluctant than the other two girls did.

"Are you sure Minako? She seemed fine when she was here earlier and even last night." Usagi inquired. Ami and Makoto gave Usagi curious looks, but Minako didn't seem at all surprised.

Minako put her hand on Usagi's shoulder and squeezed it gently, "It's nothing to worry about, I promise." Minako smiled at Usagi and she couldn't help but return the gesture.

"Umm…Usagi, what do you mean by last…?" Makoto started ask, but the bell at the entrance caused her to pause and look up instinctively. Stepping through the entrance she saw a tall man with short black hair, someone she hadn't seen in quite some time.

The man made his way casually over to booth where the four girls sat, "May I sit here?" he asked, startling Minako and Usagi a little because they didn't have a clear view of the door to see he was coming.

Usagi stood up and hugged the taller man, "Oh, Mamo-chan I'm glad you're here. We were just going to talk about what happened last night." she said and released him before she slid down in the booth so he had room to sit.

The three other girls watched the couple with some interest. A while back Rei talked to them and told them not to bring Mamoru up around Usagi, unless Usagi started the conversation. Even though they were curious why, they agreed. A few days after that they learned why when Usagi told them that Mamoru left the country. She didn't go into details, but the girls could tell it wasn't a happy parting. Whatever happened didn't seem to be affecting them now though.

"Umm, Usagi what were you saying about last night?" Ami asked.

"It all started when I went over to Rei's last night…" Usagi explained. Usagi explained most of what happened the previous night and what she didn't explain, Mamoru filled in. The three girls listened to events closely and tried to figure anything they could from the events, "…And that's everything that happened."

'So that's what happened…it seems as though the youma timed his attacks carefully. He wasn't stupid either; he had knowledge of how to go about fighting them, by the sound of it. Mamoru showing up must have thrown him off…' Minako thought as she tapped her finger on the table.

"What are you thinking, Minako?" Ami asked.

Minako stopped tapping her finger on the table and looked up at the group, "These youma seem to be getting stronger. I mean, after we defeat one of them another one come along that's even stronger then that last one."

"That does seem to be a trend…" Makoto added.

"They don't seem stupid either. They plan their attacks in advance and have back-ups ready, or at least it seems that way." Ami said thoughtfully.

"There's got to be kind of connection though." Usagi chimed in.

"Have these youma expressed any interest in anything in particular?" Mamoru asked.

Minako bit her lip, and didn't say anything. Ami glanced over curiously at Minako, her small movement didn't going unnoticed by the blue haired girl. Before Ami had a chance to question her, Usagi spoke, "Not as far as I can tell, but we have been curious about a few things."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Well, they seem to have knowledge of our identities, or at least Rei's." Usagi said.

"How's that?" Mamoru asked.

"They have attacked Rei without her revealing herself to be Mars and now going by what Usagi just said, he must have some knowledge of who she is as well. On top of that, the jinja has been attack on one occasion before." Minako said.

"Have you tried to follow up on that?" He asked curiously.

"We've tried, but these youma don't leave many clues behind." Ami said a little dejectedly.

"We'll just have to keep looking." Makoto said and smiled at Ami.

"We won't let them have their way though. What ever their plans are, we'll stop them." Usagi declared.

Everyone looked at Usagi in surprise, Usagi wasn't usually the type to make strong statements like that. 'That sounds more like Rei.' Minako thought and smiled. "That's what we're here for isn't it? Stop evil's ambitions, whether their ambition is to take over the world or destroy it, we'll be there to stop them." Minako added.

"Yeah, I'm sure we're bound to get a break that will help learn about this enemy." Ami said optimistically.

"We haven't fought an enemy that doesn't have a weakness and I'm sure this enemy is no different." Makoto joined in.

Mamoru looked pleased, 'Is this what I was missing? The optimism these girls have truly amazes me.'

"Well I don't know about everyone else, but I need to get going." Minako said. 'Maybe if I do some searching I'll something, I hope I'm just being over protective of her.'

"Now that you brought it up, I should get going too." Ami said. 'If I leave with Minako, maybe I can find out what she's keeping from us.'

"Yeah me too." Makoto said. 'I wonder what Minako knows, that she's not saying.'

"Everyone's leaving?" Usagi asked.

Everyone apologized and Mamoru spoke up, "I'm not leaving"

Usagi seemed to brighten up a bit, but still looked a little downcast. Everyone apologized again, but Usagi said, "It's ok, if you have to go, you have to go." The girls felt a little guilty about leaving Usagi, but each had their own things they were looking to accomplish once they left.

Mamoru and Usagi watched as the three girls filed out of the arcade. Once the girls shut the door Mamoru looked over Usagi, but she still had her gaze fixated on the door, as if she were expecting someone to come through it. 'She seems more reserved then usual, I wonder if it has anything to do with…'

"Say Usako, are you free tonight?"

Usagi looked away from the door and over to the man sitting next to her, "I don't have any plans for tonight."

Mamoru smiled a little, "Well, if that's the case, would you mind doing something tonight?"

"What did you have in mind?" Usagi asked curiously.

"Could we just have dinner and talk? Would that be alright?" Mamoru asked.

Usagi took a moment to think about before answering, "I think I would enjoy that." she said with a reserved smile.

"Good, do you want me to take you home to change?" Mamoru asked.

Usagi thought about and looked down at herself, "Is what I'm wearing alright?"

Mamoru smiled at her, "If that's what you want to wear…" he said and she nodded her head 'yes', "Then it's fine." Usagi blushed a little under his gaze and he just smiled at her again before standing up and extending his hand to her, "I know it's still early, but do you want to get going then? We can talk and walk for a while before go out."

Usagi took the offered hand and stood, "I would like that." she and the couple walked out of the Crown, but not before say their goodbyes to Motoki.

* * *

"Minako?"

"Yeah Ami?" Minako responded.

"Is there anything more that you're not telling us?" Ami asked her seriously.

"What do you mean?" Minako asked, putting on her best 'dumb blonde act'.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about Minako. I don't know if you're trying to keep something from Usagi or from all of us, but I'm sure there's more going on with Rei that you're not telling us." Ami said.

"Why would I…?" Minako started to say, but Makoto finally decided to add her thoughts.

"I don't want to think you're lying to us, Minako, but I got the same impression Ami did." Makoto said. When she noticed Minako's reaction, she added more, "If you are withholding stuff from us I'm sure you have a good reason to, but whatever it is, don't you think we can figure everything out better if all of us know  _everything_."

Minako lowered her head, 'I can't tell them  _everything_ , but may I should let them know a little more.' "Fine, I'll tell you what I can." Minako conceded.

"That's all we ask." Makoto said and looked at Minako expectantly.

Ami looked over to Makoto and smiled her thanks, 'I guess my persuasive skills need a little work.' She thought and turned her attention fully to Minako.

Minako lifted her head to meet her friends expecting expressions. She took a deep breath before starting, "I'm a little worried that this enemy hasn't made any real movements. We've fought in little skirmishes here and there, but I'm sure there's more to it then that. At first glance, all the attacks thus far may seem random, but I don't think they are. All of them have had one thing in common…"

"…Rei?" Ami thought aloud and Minako nodded her head slowly.

Makoto looked over at Ami for a second before thinking about it herself, 'She's right. That's the one common thread.' Makoto looked back at Minako and asked the first question that came to mind, "What does all of this mean though?"

"I don't know, but that's what I'm trying to figure out. When I caught up with Rei she told me about last night and I did the only thing I could think of to buy us some more time. I ordered her not to transform, unless she ended up in a life or death situation." Minako said.

"She couldn't have been happy about that." Makoto commented.

"Well, she wasn't pleased, but I think she understands where I'm coming from." Minako responded.

"Why didn't you let Usagi know about this?" Ami asked curiously.

"I didn't want to worry her. I think this is something we can handle ourselves without worrying Usagi." Minako said.

"Are you sure? Don't you think this is something she should be told?" Ami asked.

"For the moment, I think its best we kept her out of this." Minako said, reaffirming her stance. Minako looked at Ami and hoped that that would the last of her questions. Ami was very perceptive and her questions were probably for her to figure everything out.

Ami was quiet, but she seemed to be thinking over everything and after a deep breath, she finally spoke, "Alright, but still think you should tell Usagi the conclusions you've come to."

"I understand that, but this is only until we can get some real evidence. I trust my instincts, but I haven't always been right." Minako said.

"I'm with Minako, for now…there's no sense in worrying Usagi if there's nothing to worry about. I do wish you had talked with us about this before, Minako, and in the future I hope you don't leave us out of the loop." Makoto said.

"I don't plan on it." Minako assured them.

"That's good to hear, right Ami?"

"…Yeah." Ami said after a moment.

"If that's it, I should really be going…" Minako said and took step away from the two girls for effect.

"I trust you'll keep us up to date with everything, Minako. And you'll let us know if you find out anything." Makoto said and watched Minako nod her head before heading off. Makoto turned to Ami, "What do you say we do some investigating on our own?" she said with a smile.

Ami looked at Makoto curiously, "What are you proposing?"

Makoto's smile grew when Ami didn't turn the idea down out right, "Let's head over to the park where they fought last night. Maybe there are some clues there; it's worth a shot at least. What do you say?"

"Sure." Ami replied.

"Then it's a date, I just need to…" Makoto stopped when she noticed freeze up after what she said. "Are you alright, Ami?"

Ami quickly shook her head to come back down to reality, 'It's just a figure of speech.' Ami told herself. "Sorry, I'm alright. Please continue."

Makoto looked at Ami with a confused expression, but left it at that, "Well, I was going to say I want to go home and change, so you could do the same if you wanted to. I'll come by your place after I'm done, since it's closer to the park."

"Alright, see you then." Ami said and hurried off.

Makoto watched her leave for a few minutes, but she didn't look back. 'Did I say something to cause her to run off so quickly?' Makoto thought and sighed quietly, 'I'll ask her later.' She thought and started to head toward her own house.

* * *

"But if what you're saying is true…" Haruka thought aloud.

"We need to always have someone within reach of Usagi." Setsuna said.

"Usagi's in danger?" Michiru asked from the doorway. Both women turned to the door and Haruka got up quickly and walked over to her.

"You didn't have to come down on your own; you could have called for me." Haruka said and swiftly picked her up off the ground. She proceeded to carry her 'bridal style' over the loveseat she was sitting on moments before.

"Honestly Ruka, I'm not disabled. I can walk on my own." Michiru said in feigned anger.

"I thought you liked it when I carried you?" Haruka cooed back before gently putting Michiru down in a sitting position.

Setsuna smiled somewhat reservedly at the duo, "I glad that you've almost fully recovered, Michiru. We are going to our forces at full strength."

"What are we dealing with here, Setsuna?" Michiru asked seriously.

Setsuna took a deep breath, "Our enemy…I fear our current strength will not be enough to defeat her."

"Her? Are you saying you know who we're dealing with?" Michiru asked.

"Yes, she was kind enough to pay me a visit. However, knowing  _who_  she is does not help our situation. She has knowledge of ancient magic. Magic that we'll be helpless against if confront with." Setsuna explained

"What kind of magic are we talking about here?" Michiru asked curiously.

"Magic that affects the body and…mind. There is almost no limit to the amount of things that she can do with her knowledge."

Michiru couldn't help but be surprised to hear that, 'How can someone have knowledge of such powerful magic?' She observed Setsuna more closely and realized the Setsuna sitting before her was not the Setsuna she'd always known. Setsuna was truly worried, as though she didn't have a clue any of this would happen or any idea of what will happen. Michiru hazarded to ask the first question that entered her mind, "Setsuna, how can someone have knowledge of such powerful magic?"

"She knows such magic because I taught it to her." Setsuna said quietly and lowered her head somewhat.

"What do you mean?" Michiru asked.

Haruka sat back and listened to Setsuna as she prepared to explain to Michiru what she already told her. 'I thought things were getting better, and now this. We've defeated everything she's thrown at us, but if what Setsuna says is right; these youma may have just been to gauge our abilities.'

"It's a long story, but its time the both of you knew it all." Setsuna said.

'We know she wants to hurt Usagi and no matter what, I won't let her do that.' Haruka thought and clenched her fists.

* * *

Yuuichirou watched Rei as she grabbed her denim coat and slipped it on. He couldn't understand why Rei took that creep up on his offer to have a meeting with her. His only stipulation was that she come alone, which Rei agreed to. He didn't hear all of the conversation, but he couldn't help but feel like the Rei that talked to the stalker she was like a different person. Someone he didn't know. Someone he feared a little. He didn't think it was a good idea for her to go and he told her as much, but Rei just shrugged it off. He offered to come along but Rei told him no. The tone in her voice told Yuuichirou not press the issue, the Rei that told him no was the same Rei that spoke with that man. She was a person that he couldn't muster the courage to challenge. He felt so helpless; Rei was going off to meet with that guy and he couldn't do anything to stop her.

Rei looked over to Yuuichirou, "I'll be going now."

"I have a bad feeling about this; I keep thinking I won't see you again." Yuuichirou said sadly.

"Don't be stupid! I'm coming back." Rei said confidently.

"You're going off to meet some guy that broke into the jinja! You don't know what's waiting for you when you get there." Yuuichirou said.

"Keep your voice down." Rei hissed quietly. Rei wanted to avoid alerting her grandfather that she was leaving. "I will be coming back and don't you dare tell Jii-chan about this." She warned.

"Won't you at least let me call the police? You shouldn't go there alone." Yuuichirou said.

"If you do that, I won't forgive you. I can handle myself well enough." Rei said, turned, and started walking to the door that would take her out of the shrine.

"Won't you please rethink this…I…I don't to see you get hurt." Yuuichirou said, sounding like his voice was breaking at the end, but she didn't look at him.

Rei paused for a second and spoke again, "I won't get hurt." Rei said without turning around.

"Why won't you listen to me? I want to protect you." Yuuichirou cried and fell to his knees.

Rei kept her back to Yuuichirou, "You're a man aren't you? Then get off your knees and start acting like one." Rei said coldly and continued on her path away from the shrine, leaving Yuuichirou in a state of shock.

* * *

By the time Rei made it down the steps, she could already feel guilt building up inside. 'Maybe I was too harsh…he's an idiot, but he doesn't know any better.' Rei thought and stared down at her feet as she walked. 'Damn it, I can't think about that now. I'll apologize for snapping at him when I get back; I have to think about that damn youma. I won't let him hurt Usagi.' Rei thought to herself.

Rei reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her henshin stick. She looked it for a few minutes, before holding it above her head. 'I'm sorry I can't follow your orders Minako, but I can put my safety above everyone else's, especially Usagi's. It appears they want me dead, but that won't happen. I've still got too much left to do…'

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

There was a bright red flash following Rei's henshin phrase, but it subsided quickly. Mars quickened her pace to a speed that no normal human could match and ran down the street. She leapt onto a stone fence that lined the sidewalk and prevented any intruders unto private property. She ran along the top of it until she reached the corner, 'Ichinohashi Park is this way.' Mars thought looking to her left. 'I can get there in less then five minutes and I don't even have to run a full speed, that'll help me save energy too.'

Mars took off toward Ichinohashi Park and before she knew it she was at its entrance. 'Now I guess it's just a matter of finding that damn youma.' Mars thought and ran into the park. 'I know what he feels like, so I should be able to sense him then.' Mars thought and concentrated on locating the youma in the large park. It wasn't long before she focused in on some evil centered in the distance to her right. 'That's where he must be.' she thought and ran into the direction she felt the evil aura.

'I wonder if I'm being lead into some kind of trap…' Mars thought as she closed in on the source of the evil presence. 'He didn't give me much of a choice, I won't let him get away with threatening her.' Mars slowed her pace when she saw someone standing in the distance.

"You're right on time." Kenjiro said, sounding very pleased with himself.

"As if you thought I wouldn't show up after you dared to threaten my Princess." Mars said angrily.

"Hmm, what do you say we get started then?"

"I would like nothing better." Mars said and entered her battle stance; Kenjiro did likewise when he saw that.

* * *

Usagi wasn't sure what drove her to the jinja, but here she was. She did something that she had never done; she cut short her date with Mamoru. She was already feeling guilty. It was only a feeling after all, but it was because she couldn't shake it that she had to go to the jinja. What perplexed Usagi even more was that she didn't know exactly what this feeling of hers was all about, but she did know the feeling wasn't going away no matter how much she ignored it. 'Rei's been acting differently since Mamo-chan returned last night and then this afternoon...' Usagi thought when she realized she was already standing in front of a large sign that read, Hikawa Jinja. 'I should see how she's doing.' Usagi thought and began her ascent.

'Maybe I want to apologize for this afternoon? I know Minako said Rei wasn't coming back because she didn't feel well, but that can't be right. I don't know what I did, but I had to have done something.' Usagi thought with a sigh. 'I wonder if she's upset with me over last night. Maybe I shouldn't have pressed her as much as I did, but she was the one that brought everything up. What were you trying to tell me, Rei?' Usagi thought and looked up at the top of the steps. When she did, she could see someone sitting down at the top, near the entrance to the shrine.

As she neared she started to make out exactly who it was, "Yuuichirou, what are you doing sitting out here?" Yuuichirou looked up at Usagi and she could despite him trying to hide it, he had been crying. "What's wrong?" Usagi asked and knelt beside him

"R-Rei-san, she…she…"

"Yuuichirou, where's Rei?" Usagi asked cautiously.

"She went to meet with some guy that broke into the jinja earlier. I think he said to meet at Ichinohashi Park." Yuuichirou replied.

"She did what?" Usagi yelled and took a step away from Yuuichirou.

"She already left…I-I couldn't stop her."

'This is bad…you can't do this on your own Rei…' Usagi thought and started to turn to head back down the steps.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Yuuichirou asked quickly.

"I'm going to go get Rei." Usagi said.

"If you do that, she'll know I told you and she'll be even more upset with me."

"She won't be, I promise." Usagi assured him.

"Please, get to her before she makes it to Ichinohashi Park. I don't want her to be hurt." Yuuichirou pleaded.

"I'll get to her. I won't let her be hurt, either." Usagi said and hurried down the steps. 'If she's already transformed, I won't be able to reach before she gets to the park and I'll need help…' "Everyone head to the entrance of Ichinohashi Park, immediately!" Usagi called into her communicator. Without waiting for an answer from anyone she snapped the device shut and grabbed her henshin compact.

"Moon Crisis Power, Make Up!"

* * *

'The quicker I end this the better.' Mars thought even as she called forth her most potent attack.

"Mars Flame…"

'Predictable, going right straight for your big guns.' Kenjiro thought and readied himself for her attack.

"Sniper!"

Kenjiro eyed the attack and waited until the last moment before leaping over the fiery arrow. He looked down as the arrow passed beneath him harmless. He smiled at the ease with which he avoided the attack. He was so enamored with his achievement that he didn't even notice Mars had already begun calling forth another attack.

"Burning Mandala!"

Kenjiro was able to hear her call the attack and twisted his body so he would be face the attack head on. 'I guess I should fight fire with fire…' he thought and put his hand together and his body became enveloped in a black aura. His hands started to glow with some kind of dark energy.

"Catastrophe Cannon!"

A great amount of black energy erupted from his hands and sailed towards the rings of fire Mars sent at him. When the two attacks collided the rings of fire were consumed by the black energy, but his attack didn't stop after absorbing the fire. The attack continued toward Mars. Mars looked around and cursed, there was nothing she could hide behind. 'I guess, I'll just out run it.' she thought and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction the attack was coming from. The attack came faster then she expected and she was forced jump, so the tail end of the attack wouldn't hit her.

The force of the attack caused her to fly an additional several meters through the air. Mars landed roughly with the ground, but she had the opportunity to get her body in a good position so she wouldn't break any bones. She rolled across the ground before friction did its thing and stopped her. 'What the Hell kind of power is that? He could easily destroy a building or more with that attack.' Mars thought and lifted her head to see the youma smiling about twenty yards away from her position.

"I'm sorry you missed out on seeing this attack at full strength in the hospital, but you were unconscious and the solider of Uranus had to interfere. Imagine the beautiful destruction this would have done to that hospital." Kenjiro said with a sick smile on his face.

"You're one sick bastard, has anyone ever told you that?" Mars and started to push herself into a sitting position.

"Yes in fact, but what ever gets the job done. You should understand, you would do whatever you have to protect your little Princess."

"Don't compare yourself to me!" Mars yelled.

Kenjiro ignored Mars and continued, "Honestly, I don't know what you see in her. She's nothing all that special."

"Shut your damn mouth!" Mars yelled and stood up.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Kenjiro sighed and sidestepped the attack just before it would hit him. "Come to think of  **she**  seems to have an interest in her as well. Not the same kind of interest as you do mind you, but she's interested in her nonetheless. Well  **she**  also has an interest in you and that woman transcends time too. Do you happen to know why?"

'Woman that transcends time? Does he mean Setsuna? Usagi, Setsuna, and me?' Mars thought.

"Well?" Kenjiro asked.

"How the Hell should I know?" Mars yelled.

"Damn it, I was hoping to get some answers before I killed you.  **She** just ignores my questions and tells me to follow orders."

"I don't know! Take it up with whom ever you're talking about." Mars yelled

"You know you're really boring me. I thought since you were healed and since I went to all this trouble I hoped you would fight me seriously." Kenjiro said, sounding a little disappointed.

"Fire Soul!"

Kenjiro watched the fire ball approached him with disinterest. As before Kenjiro sidestepped the energy attack without much trouble. "Don't you get it? Your attacks won't work in this wide open space. So, just give up already."

'If energy attacks aren't affective, what about mystical?' she thought. Mars materialized an ofuda in her hand and slowly started her approach of the youma.

"You think your God will help you?" Kenjiro asked in disgust.

Mars ignored his remark and started her chant, "Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen." The ofuda started to glow red and Mars stopped so she was still a good distance away from him, "Say what you want but you can't nullify this, if you can't move. Akuryou taisan!" Mars yelled and threw the ofuda at the youma.

Kenjiro smirked and held out his hand, 'Her God has no power over me.' he thought, but as soon as he did the ofuda attached it's self to his hand. He tried to move his other hand to remove the talisman, but his hand did not respond.

"Let's see if you can withstand my attack if you're unable to move." Mars said and held her arms in front of herself, as if she were holding a bow.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

'That'll hit its mark.' Mars thought as she released the fire arrow. She watched as the arrow stayed true to its target and smiled when she saw the youma's face, 'He must realize he doesn't have any options left.' Her smile fell when she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a blurry figure speed in front of the arrow's target. Her eyes widened when she saw the figure held some kind of bladed pole weapon, 'That looks similar to Saturn's Silence Glaive…' The figure held the weapon high, before slicing through the fire arrow with ease. The attack split off into different direction, each part colliding into the ground to left and right of its intended target. The split attack tore through the ground, kicking up dirt into the air, and clouding Mars' vision.

When the dust storm ended the figure in front of Kenjiro stepped out of the dust and toward Mars. Mars sighed, 'So much for a one on one battle, but when have youma been known to fight fair.'

The large youma took a step toward Mars before speaking, "I've been waiting for this moment, solider of flames."

* * *

"Thanks for coming so fast everyone. Rei's inside here fighting some youma and we need to get to her before she gets in over her head." Moon said and started to head inside.

"Should we split up, to have a better chance of finding her?" Mercury suggested.

"That's a good idea. Mercury go with Uranus, Jupiter go with Neptune, and Venus go with Pluto." Sailor Moon commanded.

"And what about you?" Uranus asked.

"I'll be fine. I'm sure Tuxedo Kamen is around." Moon said with confidence.

"I'd feel more at ease you if you let me accompany you." Uranus said worriedly.

"I'll be fine Uranus. Go with Mercury, you're senses and strength will complement her skills." Moon advised.

Uranus was about to speak again, but when she notice shaking her head slowly, 'She's thinking more about her friends then herself.' she thought and lowered her head.

Sailor Moon took that as a sign that Uranus gave up her protest, "Alright, let's get going." she said and signaled for the group to separate and start their search. Everyone went their separate ways, each hoping to be the first to reach the solider of fire.

* * *

"I didn't ask for you assistance here Ryuji!" Kenjiro said angrily.

"I am not here to help you. I am here under her orders." Ryuji said and stepped towards Mars, walking past Kenjiro as if he wasn't even there.

"I'm faltered your leader saw fit to send two of you to take me on, but even that won't be enough. I won't lose here!" Mars vowed.

"I'm afraid your fate has already been decided." Ryuji said and ran at Mars at a great speed.

'He's fast.' Mars thought as she barely avoided his charge. Mars jumped back a few times hoping to put some distance between her and the quick youma, but when she landed on her third jump, she felt a presence to her back. She looked over her shoulder and saw that he had somehow already gotten behind her. Her eyes widened as the demon smiled, 'How did he…?' Mars thought when she saw him pull back his arm, in preparation for a punch. Mars dove to the ground, causing Ryuji's punch to miss its target. Mars tried to perform a quick leg sweep, but Ryuji leapt over it. Mars rolled away from Ryuji as he tried to stomp on her, 'I need to find some way to put some distance between us. He's too physically strong.' Mars thought and flipped onto her feet again. Mars leapt into the air, 'This might not be enough to take care of him, but it should give me some time.' Mars put her hands together and summoned forth her powers.

"Fire Soul!"

The fireball left Mars' fingers and flew at the youma she was fighting. She watched as the fireball stayed on course and struck the youma. 'Why didn't he try to avoid it?' Mars thought. She landed and looked curiously, where the youma stood. When the smoke cleared she could see the youma was completely unaffected by her attack.

"I expected better from you. How she talks of you, I thought you were a great solider, but you are nothing." Ryuji said.

"What?" Mars asked angrily.

"She told me not to kill you, but didn't say you need to be conscious either." Ryuji said and smirked evilly.

"Explain yourself!" Mars demanded, but Ryuji didn't say a word. "Then I'll make you explain yourself!"

"Humph…you can't. At your current abilities, I could kill without even breaking a sweat, but that's not what she wants."

"Then why don't you tell me what  _she_  wants?" Mars said sarcastically.

"You are in no position to ask such a question." Ryuji said and entered his battle stance once again.

Ryuji charged Mars again and as before he displayed great speed for someone of his size. He was within reach of Mars within a few seconds and wasted no time getting back into the fight. He threw a punch at Mars' face, but she was able to see it coming and tilted her head away from his fist. The force of his punch displaced the wind so much that even though he didn't land the punch, he came close enough to cause a small cut just below her eye. 'I  _really_  can't fight this guy in close-combat.' she thought as she saw him drawing his other hand back for another punch.

As he threw his second punch Mars ducked, hoping to reduce any damage he could do. She could feel wind blow past the top of her head, when she noticed something, 'Because he puts so much force into his punches and kicks, this guy is vulnerable after his attacks.' she thought and sidestepped an attempted uppercut. 'Here's my chance…' she thought and threw a punch into the youma's side. She smiled at her successful attack, but before she could react the back of the youma's hand struck the side of her face and threw her several meters away from him.

Mars' hand went up her the left side of her face and she touched it gingerly, but even as lightly as she touched it, it still hurt like Hell. "What the Hell are you made out of?"

"Something stronger than a mere punch from you can hurt." Ryuji explained

Mars took her hand away from her cheek and cursed silently. "You're good, I'll give you that much, but I won't lose here. I can't." Mars said.

"You say that, but I know you must realize the futility in fighting me. I'll put this simply; you can't beat as you are here."

"Rei! Where are you?" a voice called from the distance.

Mars' eyes widened and she turned her head when she heard a familiar voice calling for her, "No, don't come here. It's too danger…" Mars started to say when Ryuji yelled something.

"An opening!" Ryuji yelled and charge Mars again, but this time he materialized a halberd out of thin air. He jabbed the pole end of the weapon into Mars' stomach just as Sailor Moon came into view of the battleground. Mars could feel her breath leave her body, making her feel lightheaded. Mars fell forward and Ryuji caught her before she could hit the ground. He threw her limp body over his shoulder and started to walk away when Sailor Moon yelled to him.

"What are you doing with her? Let her go!" Moon demanded.

Ryuji ignored her and turned to a stunned Kenjiro, "We have what we want. It's time to leave."

Kenjiro was at a loss, 'What we want?' he thought and looked at the girl Ryuji was carrying. "What is the meaning of this Ryuji?" Ryuji turned away from him without saying a word. Ryuji's attitude only seemed to anger Kenjiro. He hurried up behind Ryuji and grabbed him by his free shoulder, "Answer me! What the Hell is this?"

"I said, STOP!" Sailor Moon yelled, her Moon Kaleidoscope already in hand. She held the object high in the air and glared at two youma.

Ryuji turned to Sailor Moon with a cocky expression on his face, "I would think better of that, unless you wish to hit her too." Ryuji observed her surprised expression and smiled as she lowered her weapon, "I didn't think so. Now, if you'll excuse us…" he said and held his halberd above his head. When he did so, a 'tear' formed before the youma. The tear seemed to suck them in, along with Mars.

Sailor Moon fell to her knees as she could only watch helplessly as Mars disappeared with the two youma. "MARS!"

End Ch. 19

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now everything changes..


	20. That Which was Taken

Chapter 20 – That Which was Taken

* * *

Mamoru drove as fast as he could legally to Ichinohashi Park. He felt Usagi transform and headed to that location and if he wasn't mistaken all of the girls were with her. He was a little curious about why she transformed, 'She's not being threatened because I don't sense any fear from her. Rather, I sense anxiety for another.' Mamoru thought and floored it when he felt the girl's concern increase ten-fold. In no time, he saw the entrance to the park's parking lot and sighed in relief. 'About time.' he thought as he pulled smoothly into the parking area and turned off the car. In a matter of seconds, he was out of the car and transformed in to his alter ego. Once he was transformed, a sense of urgency nearly overwhelmed him. 'I've got to hurry.' He thought and ran as fast as he could to where he sensed Usagi to be.

* * *

Uranus stopped and looked around as she heard something. "What is it?" Mercury asked quietly, unsure of whether an enemy was nearby or not.

"We have to go to Usagi." Uranus said quickly and took off in a different direction then they would head before, forcing Mercury to try to match Uranus' impossible speed. 'What just happened? There was a strange wind just now.' she thought to herself and pick up her pace even more, widening the gap between Mercury and herself.

* * *

Neptune stopped so abruptly Jupiter almost ran into her, but she was able to stop herself just in time. Jupiter looked at her curiously and was about to say something when Neptune spoke, "There's been a change of plans, we're going to Sailor Moon's side."

"What happened?" Jupiter asked, but Neptune didn't answer, instead she ran off to where she felt Moon was. Jupiter just sighed and matched the pace Neptune set.

'Something must have happened, I felt something strange.' Neptune thought as she ran.

* * *

Both Pluto and Venus stopped their sprint and looked at each other. "You felt that too." Pluto asked.

Venus nodded her head and tried to focus in on exactly what she felt. She shut her eyes and concentrated for a moment, "Sailor Moon…oh my God Rei!" Venus yelled when her eyes opened. Before Pluto could say anything Venus was in a dead run to where she believe Sailor Moon to be. Without a word followed closely behind her.

* * *

Moon hung her head and started to cry harder, "Rei." She whispered sadly.

"Sailor Moon!" Uranus called as she pushed her way through the last of foliage. Moon looked up when she heard Uranus call her. She turned to the taller woman and Uranus immediately noticed the tears in her eye, "What's wrong?"

After Uranus asked that, all the other soldiers emerged from the thick trees behind Sailor Moon. Venus was the first to react and she ran to Sailor Moon and knelt beside her. She covered Moon's hand with her own and gently asked, "What happened?"

Moon's gaze followed the hand up until she met Venus' worried eyes. The concern Moon saw from Venus only seemed to cause her own eyes to fill with fresh tears. Moon fell into Venus' arms and cried, "Th-they took h-her." She said quietly, so quiet that Venus wasn't sure Sailor Moon had said anything.

"Did you say something?" Venus asked gently.

"They took her, Venus. They took Rei right in front of me!" Moon yelled.

All the girls looked shocked at what Moon just said. They looked around and indeed Mars was nowhere to be seen. Venus was the first to react, "Mercury, use your computer to search the area for any trace of where they might have went." She ordered. Mercury nodded and lowered her visor and took out her mini supercomputer.

A few moments later Tuxedo Kamen ran into the area the girls were in. He observed all of their expressions and came to one conclusion, something  _had_  happened as he thought. "What going on?" He asked to know in particular.

"The youma Rei was fighting kidnapped her." Jupiter said quietly.

Tux looked over to Sailor Moon, who was on the ground being comforted by Venus. "I'll get her out of here." He said. All the senshi nodded their heads, if the enemy were to return Sailor Moon was in no condition to fight.

"I'll conduct a more thorough scan of the area, hopefully I missed something." Mercury said and lowered her visor again.

Tuxedo Kamen nodded and walked over to Sailor Moon. He gently brought her to her feet and whispered, "Come on, let the others search for now."

Sailor Moon surprised him by shaking her head, "I can't. It's my fault."

Everyone stopped what they were doing when they heard what Sailor Moon said and looked over to her. "What do you mean? This wasn't your fault." Tuxedo Kamen said reassuringly.

"I was right here…I didn't stop it…I should have stopped it." Moon said.

Venus stood up from where she was kneeling and walked over to Sailor Moon, "If you could have stopped this, I know you would have. This is not your fault."

Moon looked up at Venus and shook her head slightly, but before she could say anything, Jupiter stepped up to her as well, "Don't blame yourself for something that was out of your control. Mercury is working on finding where they went right now and when she finds their location, we'll contact you."

"But…" Moon started to say, but this time Uranus addressed her.

"Leave this to us, Princess."

"But…" She started to say again, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see who it was and saw Tuxedo Kamen looking at her.

"Come on, I'm sure they'll contact us when they learn anything." He said and smiled sadly. She looked at the other girls each nodded their heads in agreement. Sailor Moon lowered her head in defeat and undid her transformation and Tuxedo Kamen did the same.

"You will let me know, won't you?" Usagi asked.

"We will." Venus replied.

Usagi nodded her head and turned away from her friends slowly. Mamoru nodded his head as well and turned to Usagi. The other girls could notice him whisper something, followed by Usagi moving closer to him. Mamoru put his arm around her shoulders and they started to walk away.

Venus waited until she was sure Usagi and Mamoru were out of earshot before voicing her frustrations, "This is stupid, how can they disappear into thin air and leave no trace behind!" Venus said angrily.

Pluto looked over to Mercury typing away at her computer and sighed, "You should stop for now. If you haven't found anything yet, you won't."

Mercury didn't look up from the screen as she spoke, "I can't stop now. I have the highest probability to find something now, if I stop and try again tomorrow any trace of the portal the youma used will be gone, I can't stop." She said and continued typing furiously at her computer.

"I understand." Pluto said and backed away.

Uranus looked at Pluto and then to Venus, "Neptune and I need to discuss some things with Pluto in private."

Venus looked at Uranus curiously, "This isn't something you can discuss with us as well?" She asked.

"No." Uranus replied simply.

"We're sorry, Venus." Neptune apologized and looked at Venus sadly.

There really was nothing more for them to do there, Venus knew that already and yet she still felt a little hurt that they didn't want to remain with them, it felt as though they'd give up already. She also didn't like them keeping secrets from her and the others either. 'It's as though there's still a wall between us.' She thought, recalling their refusal to work with them when they first encountered them. "If the three of you feel you must leave, I won't stop you." Venus said and turned back to Mercury. Even though Venus was no longer looking, the outers nodded and proceeded to retreat.

Jupiter walked up behind Mercury and tapped her on her right shoulder, causing her to jump a little, but she continued typing nonetheless. "I'll stay with you." Jupiter said quietly and stood beside her. Mercury smiled her thanks, but her eyes remained fixated on the screen.

"Thanks."

After watching the short exchange, Venus walked over to Mercury as well, "As will I." She said and stood on Mercury's other side.

* * *

Kenjiro followed Ryuji until he stopped at a dead end. Kenjiro eyed the youma, curious as to why he lead them down a hallway that would only lead to a dead end. Ryuji looked over his shoulder, "This is as far as you go."

"What?" Kenjiro yelled angrily.

"Exactly like I said, you can't continue past this point." Ryuji said in his usual serious tone.

"And you will stop me?" Kenjiro asked, almost encouraging Ryuji to finish his threat.

"I will kill you if try to go any further then this point. She does not wish for anyone other then myself or herself to know Mars' exact whereabouts." Ryuji said with a sinister smile before disappearing in a black light.

'Was all that walking through these corridors merely meant to throw me off? I should have expected as much.' Kenjiro thought to himself. 'I won't be made a fool by him or  **her**.'

* * *

Ryuji looked down at a motionless and restrained Mars and smiled, 'She will be pleased.' He thought and crutched down in front of Mars. "You're lucky she didn't want you seriously harmed. I do hope if we happen to fight again though, you'll put up a better fight." Ryuji stood and walked away from her before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

* * *

'I wonder if he even plans to come back here.' Kenjiro thought, but no sooner did he think that did Ryuji reappeared in the same spot he was only a few minutes before. "That was fast, you mind tell me where you went? I see Mars is no longer with you."

"I believe I already told you that that is none of your concern." Ryuji said and took a step past the other youma.

"Then where are you going now?" Kenjiro asked.

"To inform her that everything went as planned." Ryuji said and started to walk away.

"If you're going to see her, I'm coming too." Kenjiro said.

"You don't choose when to have an audience with her; that is her decision." The larger youma said, clearly angered by the other youma's assertion.

"I want to know the Hell is going on here! Since you refuse give me answers, I'll speak with her myself." Kenjiro said.

"You have some nerve; I should slay you now for your insolence." Ryuji said and materialized his halberd once again. Kenjiro stepped back and entered his fighting stance.

' _Stay your blade Ryuji. If Kenjiro wishes to speak with me, bring him along._ '

' _You're back_?' Ryuji asked.

' _Yes, now do as I've ordered_.'

' _As you wish_.' Ryuji responded mentally. Ryuji dematerialized his weapon and entered a relaxed state, "It appears she has granted you life as well as an audience. You should thank her when you see her, because she is allowing you to continue your sorry excuse of an existence for at least a little longer. If it were me, you would be dead where you stand."

"You are her obedient dog after all." Kenjiro commented and relaxed his stance as well.

Upon seeing Kenjiro falling into a relaxed state Ryuji smirked. The demon moved faster then Kenjiro could react and before he knew it he was punched on the side of his face. The force combined with him not being prepared was enough to knock Kenjiro roughly to the ground. Ryuji stepped over the grounded youma and started walking away, "I thought you wished to speak with her…she won't wait for you."

Kenjiro glared at Ryuji from the ground and rubbed his cheek, but decided against saying anything. Instead, he merely stood up and followed the youma with utter hate in his eyes.

* * *

The three outer solders silently walked into their shared home together, with Setsuna in the lead and Haruka bringing up the rear. The car ride back was unusually quiet between them as well. Even when Haruka would drive at outrageous speeds neither Setsuna nor Michiru brought it to the sandy haired blonde's attention. Since both women knew well enough that driving at high speeds was one way for the senshi of wind to relieve some frustrations or anger. Once all three women were inside Haruka shut the door calmly, only to stare angrily at Setsuna.

"What the Hell is going on Setsuna? You said she was after Usagi!" Haruka exclaimed.

"Ruka…" Michiru said quietly, but in a calm voice.

"She is, she confirmed that herself." Setsuna said.

"Then how does this involve Rei? Why was she taken then? Did you leave anything out of your explanation?" Haruka said and looked to Setsuna for an explanation.

"I told you everything I could." Setsuna explained calmly.

"Then that means you  _did_  leave stuff out." Haruka concluded from Setsuna's statement. Haruka and now even Michiru looked at Setsuna, expecting some explanation.

"You know there some things I can't tell, even to the two of you." Setsuna and looked between both women.

"So what you left out, could that have lead to us considering Rei as some kind of target as well?" Michiru asked curiously.

"Perhaps, but you know there is only so much I can tell the two of you. There are some things I can't interfere with." Setsuna said and turned away from the two women and started walking away.

"Then you're fine with this?" Haruka asked.

"Ruka, you know that's not what Setsuna meant. Right?" Michiru said and looked over to Setsuna for confirmation.

Setsuna turned around and addressed the two women, "If I could have prevented this, I would have. You need to remain calm. Don't you think this is something she wanted to achieve by doing this? The threat to Usagi still remains and if we don't stay as one, she will be able to have her way! Above all else, we must ensure Usagi remains safe. You know that would be what Rei would want as well. If we aren't united, we will fail and that is not acceptable!" Setsuna said and sighed audible when she added. "I'm only telling you what you already know. Our Princess' safety takes priority over all else and our guard must not drop because of this."

"Then what do you suggest we do about Rei?" Haruka asked, much calmer then she was only a few minutes ago.

"Right now there's nothing we can do. Until we have more information or a possible location where she might be, we can't really do anything." Setsuna said honestly.

"You know I'm not any good at waiting." Haruka said.

"Well, try this time, for Usagi." Setsuna said and Haruka was noticeably surprised by what she said and Haruka reluctantly nodded her head. "I glad you finally agree with me. Now I'm going to go to my room to rest." Setsuna said started to walk away again.

"Setsuna?" Haruka called.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about going off on you like I did, I…" Haruka said, but when she was about to say more, Setsuna cut her off.

"You don't need to apologize. I know you're only worried. I can handle anything you need to say, I've been in this position for many, many years remember." Setsuna said and continued on her path to her room upstairs.

Once Setsuna was out of earshot Michiru looked over to Haruka, "That's not all that's on your mind is it?"

"My attention was so focused on our Princess that I didn't focus enough of my attention on Rei; even though she was the one in the most immanent danger. I should have been able to do something to prevent all of this." Haruka said.

"You were only fulfilling you duty to protect our Princess, as was Setsuna and I. You shouldn't feel any responsibility for what happened. We had to believe Rei could handle herself. We know she is a well enough fighter, so there's now way we could have suspected the enemy would kidnap her."

"But Usagi blames herself! She put the blame solely on her shoulders when it was more our fault then hers."

"You and I both know that's the type of person our Princess is. She's too sweet to hold anyone else accountable other then herself. Since she was there when it happened, she blames herself." Michiru said sadly.

"Then there's only one thing for us to do…" Haruka said.

"What's that?"

"Get Rei back as soon as possible." Haruka said firmly.

"Where do we start, though? Ami couldn't locate where the enemy went with her super computer, so we're kind of at a dead end." Michiru said and looked at Haruka curiously. Haruka had and odd expression on her face, but Michiru recognized what she was thinking, "I know that look, but don't you think we should inform the others. I'm sure they would go along with it if it meant we could get Rei back quicker, especially Usagi. But what about what you agreed with Setsuna?"

"This is to help Usagi though." She reasoned with Michiru and added, "I guess if there are more of us involved, it would be more effective." Haruka agreed.

"Then what is it exactly you had in mind?" Michiru asked.

Haruka smiled dangerously, "We call the enemy out instead of waiting for them to come after us."

* * *

Setsuna sat down on her bed tiredly, 'It's not that I didn't want you two know…it's that I didn't know that was going to happen myself.' Setsuna lowered her head into her hands, 'Has she clouded my mind so much I can't see what she's planning? What is your plan Kei? How did everything go so wrong with you?'

~~

Flashback ?? years ago

"Focus. You'll never be able to advance if your mind is all over the place." Pluto instructed.

"I am focusing…this is just too hard." The dark haired girl said. She shut her eyes again and held her hands out. After a few moments, her hands started to glow a bright gold, but after only a few seconds the glow faded and the girl fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

Pluto sighed as she watched the young girl try unsuccessfully to manifest her spiritual powers yet again, "That's enough for now." she said and waved the girl over to her. "Let's rest under that tree for little while, it's starting to get too warm to train outside anyway." The young nodded and walked over to the tall woman.

Together the two walked over to the tree Pluto pointed out. Pluto sat down and leaned back against the tree, while the dark haired girl chose to lie beside her rather then sit. The girl rested her head on Pluto's thigh, surprising her a little, but the girl just smiled fondly up at Pluto, causing Pluto to do the same in return.

"What will happen after I finish my training?" the girl asked curiously.

"It's too early to be thinking about that. Your training has only just begun. I think you should focus more on now rather then the future, there's plenty of time for all of that later." She replied.

"Please?" she asked and gave Pluto the sweetest 'puppy dog' eyes. Pluto sighed in defeat, she couldn't ever resist such 'under-handed' techniques. If there were a technique that she could learn to resist that, she would be the first in line to learn it.

"Alright, you will have a great honor. You will be a warrior for our Queen. You will uphold the peace throughout this solar system. You will ensure that evil does not gain a strong hold anywhere in this system. You will…" Pluto stopped when she saw the overwhelmed look in the young girl's eyes. Pluto smiled down at the girl and ruffed up her hair, causing her to give Pluto an irritated look. "These things, though, are things you needn't worry about yet child."

That comment received another irritated look from the girl, "I'm not a child! I'm thirteen years old, I'm nearly a woman."

Pluto smiled affectionately at the girl, "But you are still a child. You haven't even mastered how to control you ki yet…"

Before she could finish the dark haired girl stood up, "If I can master controlling my ki, you'll recognize me as a woman?" She said quickly and expected a response just as quickly.

Pluto sighed, "Don't try to over do it, you're already moving faster in your training then I expected. It was premature of me to ask you learn that already."

"You're not answering my question, will you recognize me as a woman if I can master my ki training?" She asked again.

"You can't…" Pluto started to say, but the dark haired girl was already countering her statement with her own.

"Please, Plu-chan…will you?" she asked again.

Pluto lowered head in defeat once again, "Hai, but you can't…"

"Thank you, I'll do it then!" She said and ran back to the same spot she was training a short time ago.

'Stubborn girl…' Pluto thought as she watched her resume her training by herself.

The next morning…

"Plu-chan…Plu-chan…wake up! Plu-chan!"

Pluto groaned at being woken so loudly. She cracked her eyes open a little and looked at the source of the noise, tiredly. "What time is it?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper.

"What does that matter? Just get up!" she called, now also pulling her arms and forcing the taller woman into a sitting position.

"Fine, fine, I'm getting up." Pluto said and opened her eyes wider. When she looked around, she saw the young girl was covered in dirt and looked very tired. "Good Lord child, don't tell me you've been training all night?"

The girl nodded her head enthusiastically, "I have and don't call me a child any more. I'm a woman." She said with pride.

Pluto woke up fully at the girl's words, 'There's no way she could master that overnight.' She thought. "Show me." She said. The girl nodded and moved to the door, Pluto following close behind. Once outside she repeated the same thing she said inside, "Show me." Pluto stepped away from her, to give her room, and watched. Her eyes widened as she watched the girl, 'She's actually doing.' She thought and saw the girl form a small ball of gold energy ball in her hand. When she had stabilized the attack, she threw it at a nearby tree, turning it into a pile of wood-chips.

The girl turned and looked at Pluto expectantly, "A solider never goes back on her word…" she said, bringing a large smile to the other woman's face.

She ran at Pluto and wrapped her arms around the taller woman, "I told you I could do it!"

"Yes, yes you did." was all Pluto said as she returned the embrace.

End Flashback

~~

Setsuna shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts, 'No. I shouldn't think of her from then. She is no longer that girl…she…she's changed.' Setsuna told herself. She fell back on to her bed and looked up at the ceiling. A part of her wanted to head to the Gates for information, but another part of her was worried if she did whatever information she learned would be used against her like before. 'I shouldn't be the one surprised by things and yet I've been blind to her intentions since this started. Everyone looks to me for guidance, but I'm afraid I am of little help with this. I can look to the past that I do know.' She told herself. 'And Rei, could she have remembered her to be…is that why she took her? Is she just a means to hurt Usagi or something else?'

Setsuna closed her eyes and thought about possible reasons, 'There are so many things she could be planning, so many things she could do Rei. This could be a very dangerous situation, she's never been trained to handle anyone like her, none of them have been. The mind is a fragile thing and knowing her like I do, she'll exploit any weakness she can find. We have to find out where Rei is before she has a chance to do anything, that's her only hope. Stay strong of mind until then, Rei.'

* * *

"I couldn't stop him. I was right there and I couldn't do anything to stop him from taking her." Usagi said repentantly. Despite everything that her friends said, she couldn't fight the near overwhelming guilt. 'I should have stopped them.' She kept thinking.

"I'm sure she's alright Usako." Mamoru said comfortingly.

"I want to believe you, I really do, but you don't know that for sure." Usagi said worriedly. She couldn't shake the sinking feeling in her stomach that something very bad was happening to Rei. To make matters worse, there was nothing she could do about it.

Mamoru felt utterly helpless, he couldn't seem to do anything to ease Usagi's worries and then he couldn't help but feel worried himself for Rei. It was dangerous being captured by the enemy, something he knew all too well. 'I'm fairly sure they haven't killed her. They could have done that if they wanted to instead they captured her. Why then? What can accomplish by taking her?' Mamoru thought to himself and looked over to a very distraught Usagi that was pacing the floor. "Usako, we'll figure out what's going on and get her back." Mamoru said confidently, though he was trying to convince himself as well.

"Do you really think so?" Usagi asked hopefully.

"I do. Right now we just have to figure out how to get her back." Mamoru said sincerely.

"Oh Mamo-chan, I'm just so worried." Usagi cried and ran into Mamoru's arms. He held her supportively as she cried on his shoulder. "Why would they take her? Why?" Usagi whispered through her tears.

'Why, that's what I would like to know as well.' Mamoru thought to himself. "I don't know, but we'll get her back no matter their reasons for taking her!" Mamoru vowed.

Usagi didn't say anything; instead, she just continued crying on Mamoru's shoulder. Mamoru did nothing to encourage her to speak, 'I just need to be supportive, because that's what she needs from me right now.' Mamoru thought.

An indeterminate amount of time pasted when a thought finally struck Usagi, "Oh my God, I have to tell her Grandfather!" Usagi said and pulled herself away from Mamoru. Usagi picked up her coat and ran to the door, before another thought struck her, "What am I going to tell him? The truth is unacceptable and what if they want to speak to Rei."

'That could be a problem.' He thought to himself. "Could you call the jinja instead of actually going there?"

Usagi shook her head sadly, "No, Yuuichirou already knew Rei left; he was the one who told me."

Mamoru was silent for a moment when a thought struck him, "Do you still have that disguise pen of yours?"

"Yeah." She replied.

"Why don't you pretend to be Rei then?" Mamoru suggested.

"I don't know…" Usagi said dejectedly.

"Why not? You know Rei better then anyone, so you know how she acts." Mamoru said.

"It's not that. If I do that, they'll think I'm Rei. I'll have to lie to them and let them think she's ok. But I don't know if she's ok or when she'll come back or even if she'll come back." Usagi said and started to cry again.

Mamoru walked over to her and held her as he did before, "Don't think like that. We will find her and get her back before you know it. They won't get away with this, I swear it."

Usagi nodded her head and her tears finally lessened. She stepped back from Mamoru and wiped her eyes, "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me; I'm telling you the truth." He said confidently.

She nodded her head again, "I should head over there now."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Mamoru offered.

"No, I think I should do this my self." She said and opened the door. "I'll let you know how it goes." Usagi said and was out the door.

Mamoru stared at the door for a moment and sighed, 'I think I'll keep an eye on her just in case.' He thought and grabbed his coat of the coat rack and in a moment he was out the door.

* * *

Seated on her usual high throne the woman sighed and looked the door expectantly. 'The last time I should have seen him was when I sent him out earlier. Yet he has returned alive, it's an unexpected thing. I will need to speak with Ryuji about his actions…' she thought while her eyes remained fixated on the door. She played with the silver bracelet now as she watched the door, her patience starting to grow thin when she heard the door finally being opened.

Ryuji entered first, but he was followed closely by Kenjiro. The woman watched them as they approached and observed them for injuries, but found neither to be too injured. Her eyes fell on Ryuji when he knelt before her.

"I have brought Kenjiro as you wished…" Ryuji said, but was silenced by a wave of the woman's hand.

She focused her attention of Kenjiro. "I understand you wanted to speak with me, Kenjiro?" the woman said and sat back in her throne.

Kenjiro nodded his head and stepped in front of Ryuji. "You had no intention of letting me get revenge. You had your own little plan all along, didn't you?" Kenjiro asked.

The woman appeared unimpressed by the youma's words, "That's not entirely true. I gave you all the opportunity you should have needed, if you had ability to get the job done. You couldn't follow through with your silly revenge, so it was your own fault. I never said you had an infinite amount of time to slay Mars, your time merely ran out."

"Are you saying if I killed Mars before Ryuji arrived you were fine with that?" Kenjiro asked curiously.

"Of course." She said calmly.

"Then what about the stuff he said to Mars as he fought with her? He said you didn't want her dead." Kenjiro said.

"No, I didn't want  _him_  to kill her. If you had killed her already, that would mean she wouldn't have been worth my time. Despite what you may think, you are weak and if a weak creature such as yourself could kill her, she would only be another unimportant solider. I won't lie though, I fully expected you to lose your life." She said with an odd smile on her face.

"Did you just throw me out there hoping she would kill me then?" Kenjiro asked angrily.

She cocked her head to the side a little before speaking, " _Your_  death…you speak of it as though it is not inevitable…if you haven't forgotten your life is mine to do with as I wish."

"And you talk as though when my life ends is solely up to you!" Kenjiro yelled.

"Silence!" She yelled, stood up and walked casually up to the angry youma. "If I tell you to go out and die right now, you will do it. Unless of course you wish for me to kill you right now! I have no use for a fool that questions me!"

Kenjiro stepped back and entered his fighting stance, fully expecting her to attack him. "Humph, you think you could challenge me when Mars nearly killed you." She said, but Kenjiro didn't back down. "I see I need to put you in your place. If I kill you in the process don't blame me." She said and stopped in front of the youma. Unlike Kenjiro, though, she didn't enter any fighting stance; she simply stood casually in front of him.

"Is that your fighting form?" Kenjiro asked.

"I don't need one against you. Don't be cocky enough to think you can fight on the same level as me." The woman said serious and remained in her relaxed stance.

Kenjiro looked angered by her comment and charged her without thinking his attack through. He threw a quick punch at her midsection, but she sidestepped the attempted strike with ease. Seeing his momentum still sending the youma forward, she extended her foot slightly and tripped the youma. Kenjiro fell to the ground rather clumsily.

"You're more pathetic then I realized. If I knew I had such a worthless creature under my command, I would have never given the opportunity to fight the Sailor Senshi because I would have killed you myself." She said as she looked down at the youma with disgust. Kenjiro gritted his teeth before he pulled himself into a sitting position and swiftly pointed his arm at the woman standing over him.

"Catastrophe…"

Kenjiro started to call out his strongest attack, but the woman seemed unimpressed. She held her forefinger and middle finger in front of her lips and muttered some inaudible words before moving her hand away from her lips and sprinted at the youma. She grabbed his arm just as he opened his mouth to finish the attack phrase, but she whispered the final word of her spell before he could utter his, "Stop."

Kenjiro eyes widened when he tried to move his arm, but found it wouldn't respond. He looked over to the woman holding his arm, "What the Hell have you done to me?"

"I've merely rendered your arm useless. You'll find the rest of your body is fine however. I do believe in a fair fight after all." The woman said and released the youma's arm. She took a few steps away from him and waited for him to rise. Once he was standing again, she spoke once more, "Whenever you're ready…"

Kenjiro looked at her angrily threw a punch toward her face, but she was able to catch his fist with little effort. "You're too slow." She said and tightened her grip until she heard a couple of loud snapping noises. Kenjiro bit down on his lower lip, drawing his own blood, but refusing to scream. "This pain is nothing and if you're already this close to scream out, I'll end this now." she said and swiftly preformed a spinning kick to the side of the youma chin, sending him a few meters to her left and into the ground. She held her hand out in front of herself, her palm facing the grounded youma.

"Chaos…!" she started to say, but stopped she heard Ryuji interrupt her.

"Forgive my interruption, but may I have a word with you mistress." Ryuji said and bowed low to show her he meant no disrespect.

The woman looked at Ryuji and thought for a moment before she decided to indulge the youma. "Sure, but it had better be important." She said as she lowered her hand and walked back to her chair to sit back down. Ryuji stood and walked over her side as she sat. "What do you need say?" she asked quietly. Meanwhile, Kenjiro was busy pulling himself up off the floor, rather unsteadily.

"I just thought that maybe you shouldn't kill him, yet." Ryuji replied just as quietly.

"Did you have something else in mind?"

"Yes. The Moon Princess was present when I took Mars into our possession…" He said and saw a smile grace her features, "…She saw him there as well. Perhaps he could be our messenger to her…"

"You believe he could be that for us. Perhaps…but I would need you to keep him in check. We can't have him tell the Princess anything before I want her to know."

"He knows nothing of consequence." Ryuji relied quietly.

"You are wrong, he knows where we are and that would send the Sailor Senshi here to investigate, but that can't happen until all the preparations have been made." She said and thought for a few minutes. "Alright, but you must be present at his next encounter with the senshi. And Ryuji, if you wish to keep your head, don't even question me again." She said quietly before turning to Kenjiro, who was on one knee and breathing heavily. "Ryuji has convinced me to spare your life for now, but should you ever cross me again you'll suffer the worst death I can put you through."

Kenjiro didn't say anything, which prompted Ryuji to speak up again, "You would do best to thank her for allowing you to continue your pathetic existence, I merely suggested you be allowed to live a little longer the decision to allow to live was hers and hers alone. So, be the pathetic creature you are, gravel before her, and give her your thanks."

Kenjiro pulled himself into a standing position and was about to speak when the seated woman waved her hand dismissively, "That isn't necessary Ryuji." She said and looked down at Kenjiro with a smile, "He knows that if he challenges me again, he will die. Isn't that right, Kenjiro?"

He thought about for a moment, but he decided on doing the only thing that would allow him to leave the room with his life. Kenjiro dropped to one knee and bowed his head slightly, "Hai." He said quietly.

The woman smiled again before speaking, "I'm not sure I heard you clearly, could you say that again? Louder this time though."

Kenjiro gritted his teeth and did his best to hold back the resentment in his voice when spoke again, "HAI!"

Kenjiro looked up when he heard clapping, "That wasn't so difficult, was it? Now, be a good minion and go to your quarters until I need you again." She said and looked over to Ryuji, "Make sure he makes it there and doesn't pass-out along the way or anything." She instructed, but this prompted Kenjiro to speak again.

"I don't need  **his**  help." Kenjiro said and stood once again. He swayed for a moment before finding his balance and turning to the door.

"Suit yourself." She said apathetically and watched him walk unsteadily away from her.

Kenjiro opened the door and thought, 'How is she so strong and what the Hell is she? Besides that, what kind of attack was she calling forth? If she had used that I would have been killed.' Kenjiro stepped through the door with those questions and others on his mind but no answer to them. Once he had cleared the door, he shut it behind himself.

"The stupid fool, at least his days are numbered…" the woman in black said before her gaze once again fell on Ryuji, "…But enough about him, what of Mars? Did you do as I instructed?"

"Yes, she is in the room you told me to put her in and she is restrained." Ryuji relayed.

The woman smiled when she heard that, "Good, I think I shall pay her a visit."

Ryuji bowed his head and spoke, "If that is what you wish…" he paused for a moment before asking the question that had been on his mind since he learned what she was planning on doing. "…What of your meeting with her?"

"I got my point across to her I think, but she was a little more combative then I expected."

"Combative?"

"Yes, but it's none of your concern. I will deal with her as I see fit." She said in an unquestioning tone and Ryuji nodded in response. "Now isn't the time to being worrying about Pluto anyway. I should go and greet our guest." She said and stood. She took a step down from her throne and gave a sideways glance at Ryuji before continuing, "Don't ever attack on your own again." She said coldly. Ryuji was about to say something but he felt her gaze harden on him, "Be silent. I know you interfered in Kenjiro and Mars' fight. Don't ever assume you know what I want. If you hadn't have interfered I could have proceeded with plans. Now I must take things slowly again. Don't forget, there is one more youma I can send to play with the senshi before we're ready."

Ryuji bowed his head, "Please forgive my arrogance, it will not happen again."

"I hope not…for your sake." She said and started walking again with Ryuji following close behind her, his head still lowered.

* * *

Mercury slammed her fist into the small computer, catching her two friends off guard. "What is it Mercury?" Venus asked cautiously. She was not encouraged by Mercury sudden burst of anger.

"There's nothing! I can't find anything, other then traces of their presences. It's as though they disappeared through a wormhole or something." Mercury said, sounding frustrated.

"A wormhole?" Jupiter asked.

"Yeah, but that's not possible. They don't exist." Mercury said.

"Let's say they do exist, where could they gone then?" Venus asked.

"I can't tell. If they did travel through a wormhole, it would be impossible to tell where they went. I mean not only could they been sent to a different place, they could have been sent to an entirely different time. It would be an impossible task to find her with some many possibilities." Mercury answered gloomily.

"I refuse to accept that. I don't care how impossible it might seem, we will find her and we'll punish the youma for taking her." Venus said

Both Jupiter and Mercury looked a little surprised by Venus' declaration, but even though neither voiced it themselves, they both had the same feelings. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to imply we won't be able to find her. It just seems as though everything's against us right now." Mercury said

"No, I'm sorry. I know you did the best you could." Venus said and sighed. "The two of you can head home. We've done all we can do for now." Venus said and undid her transformation. After seeing Venus undo her transformation, the other two girls followed her lead.

"What about you?" Makoto asked.

Minako looked at her friend and smiled a little, "I'm going to stay here for a little longer."

"You're sure?" Ami asked.

Minako nodded her head, "Yeah, I just want to be alone to my thoughts." She said and looked away from her friends.

A thought struck Ami and she looked a Minako sadly for a moment before turning to Makoto, "Alright, we understand." She said loud enough for Minako to hear and added quieter to Makoto, "Come on, let's give her the space she wants." Makoto nodded her head, but still looked a little confused. That passed though and Makoto followed Ami out of the area.

Minako sighed quietly when she realized she was finally alone. 'Why did you have to do that? Why didn't you listen to me?' Minako thought as she looked at the spot Sailor Moon told her Rei was last, where she taken. "This wasn't something you had to do by yourself. You could have come to me." She whispered. Minako noticed her vision started to blur as she stared at the spot of grass, so she blinked a few times to clear her vision somewhat. "Why didn't you come to me, Rei? Why?" Minako called in to the night. Hearing only the echo of her voice as her response, she finally allowed herself weep openly.

* * *

Makoto and Ami walked beside each other silently. Both girls were lost in their own thoughts, but still very much aware of each other's presences. Makoto noticed Ami still wore the same disheartened expression she had when they left Minako. "What's on your mind, Ami?" Instead of answering Ami just shook her head, but Makoto was satisfied with that response and persisted, "Come on, tell me."

Ami sighed and kept her eyes away from Makoto, "I couldn't find anything. I just felt so useless, after everything we've been through and after all the knowledge I thought I learned I couldn't do anything to find Rei. Despite everyone putting their faith in me I failed."

Makoto reached over to Ami's hand and hesitated for a moment before grapping her hand a squeezing it gently, "You did your best and that's more then I can say I did. We weren't fast enough to get to her and we failed her and Usagi. Usagi put her faith in us to find Rei before anything could happen, but we failed."

"But instead of blaming us, she put the blame on herself." Ami said, finishing what Makoto was about to say.

"Yeah and that's all the more reason get Rei back as soon as possible."

"This just isn't fair though." Ami said.

"When have our enemies ever been known to fight fair, this enemy is no different. We weren't quick enough to realize what was happening before it was too late."

"Not all of us…remember what Minako said earlier about being worried about Rei and the fact that she seemed to be the focus of their attacks. I think tonight may have been the culmination of everything." The blue-haired girl said.

"You think they've been planning this out from the start?" Makoto asked.

"Yes, and I think they took measures to make sure we couldn't track them. How they would know how to block my computer is beyond me though."

"For what purpose though?" Makoto thought aloud.

"I don't have a clue, but I do know our best course of action is to get Rei back as soon as possible. This whole thing isn't sitting well with me, why kidnap her, what could that accomplish?" Ami asked. Makoto frowned when she thought about Ami's questions. Ami noticed the other girl's expression and asked, "What are you thinking?"

"Only two things come to mind. Either they're trying to separate us one by one or they plan to use her as bait in some kind of trap." Makoto said grimly.

"I don't like either prospect." Ami said sadly. "You think she'll be ok with the enemy until we can get her back?"

"I sure hope so. I do know one thing though." Makoto said.

"What?"

"An angry Sailor Mars won't let them have their way, whatever they're planning to do." Makoto said causing Ami to smile sadly, "This isn't over though, you know that. You'll find her and make them pay for kidnapping her."

"And the sooner the better." Ami added.

It was only a short time later that the girls found themselves in front of Ami's apartment building. Ami looked up at the building with a little sadness and even though she tried to hide it, Makoto noticed it. "What's wrong?"

"It's just that when I walk into my apartment, no one's going to be there." She said sadly.

Makoto lowered head a little; she knew that feeling just the same. She started to move her hand over, but realized she was already holding her hand. 'I guess I never let go…I wonder why Ami never let go either. It must have just felt natural to her too.' She thought and looked over to Ami when a thought struck her. "You know if you'd let me, I could…"

"Yes." She said quickly, before Makoto could even finish what she was saying and catching her off-guard as well. Ami chastised herself mentally for being so rude, 'What if she wasn't even say what I thought?' she questioned herself. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. It's just that I don't want to be alone right now." Ami said and looked at the ground ashamedly.

"Neither do I…" Makoto said quietly, almost so quiet Ami wasn't sure she heard her correctly. "We probably shouldn't stand out here all night though." Makoto joked, hoping to relieve some of the stress of the moment and honestly the entire day.

Ami looked up at Makoto, "I'm sorry, let's go inside then." She said and lead Makoto into the building.

* * *

Usagi stopped at the bottom of the steps of the Hikawa Jinja and looked up the steps. 'I hope this works…' Usagi thought and held her disguise pen above her head. "Please turn me into Rei…

"Moon Power, Ni nare!"

Once the light from her transformation faded, she looked down at herself and inspected her new appearance. "It looks like it worked." She said and sighed in relief, 'Good, this changed my voice as well, but there's still one last test though…' she thought and opened the compact in her pocket. She closed her eyes and brought the mirror up her face. She made a silent prayer that she really did look like Rei because even if she were dressed like Rei, if she didn't look like Rei it wouldn't matter. She opened her eyes to see Rei staring back at her. She could already start to feel tears fill her eyes, but she willed them not to fall. 'I need to be strong to do this, Rei wouldn't be crying like me.' She thought and wiped her eyes with her sleeve incase any stray tears fell. She took a deep breath and started her ascent up the shrine's steps. She was only a little more then halfway up when she heard someone calling Rei.

"Rei is that you?" Yuuichirou called from the top of the stairs.

She nodded, "Yeah, Usagi got to me before I reached the park and convinced me not to go through with it."

"That's a relief." He said and looked as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Usagi didn't come back with you, did she?"

 _Rei_  looked at him curiously, "No, why?"

"Uh, no reason." He said quickly and finally got a chance to look at her in the light of the temple. Yuuichirou gave her a strange look, which started to worry her. "Why are you wearing your miko robes? You weren't wearing them when you left." Yuuichirou asked quietly

'I hadn't thought about what she was wearing when she left.' Usagi thought to herself. "Oh, uh that's because…umm…" She started to say but the loud call of Grandpa Hino interrupted her. "I'll go see what he wants." She offered and hurried away from Yuuichirou.

The young man just stood there confused. 'Rei's certainly acting different.' He thought, but didn't dwell on it. He was just happy that Rei was safely back home and he had Usagi to thank for that. 'I'll have to be sure to thank her the next time I see her.'

"Did you need something?"  _Rei_  asked from the doorway to the kitchen.

"That was fast." He commented and continued chopping vegetables. "I just wanted to know if you were hungry, because I'll be finished soon."

"No, not really. There is something I'd like to ask you though."  _Rei_  said.

Grandpa Hino moved the sliced vegetables into a bowl and looked over to  _Rei_ , "What did you want to ask me?"

"Yeah, would it be alright if I stayed over a Usagi's house for a few days." She answered.

He didn't say anything, but proceeded to move over the stove what ever was being heated up. He then grabbed the bowl he put the vegetables in earlier, added them to the pan, and stirred the contents again. "Why would you like to do that?" He asked her casually.

"I…I just thought I could spend sometime with my friend." She answered.

"Is that all?" He asked.

Usagi started to get concerned that Rei's grandfather was not quiet believing her. She just didn't know if it was because her whole reason was lame or because she wasn't acting enough like Rei or even a combination of both. "Really that's all there is to it." She said sounding very believable, to her own ears at least.

"You wouldn't be trying to take advantage of me lightening your work load here, would you?" he asked.

"Of course not!" she said quickly.

"That's good to hear, I don't want you to forget about the Jinja." He said.

"I wouldn't do that and it won't be for long, just for a little while." She said, but frowned inside. 'I don't know if I can keep this up, it's just one lie on top of another. I don't know how long I might be talking about.'

"You really want to leave your poor grandfather all alone." The old man said, pouting a little.

 _Rei_  sighed, a little from relief and a little from the older man's childish antics, "You're not alone, Yuuichirou is here with you."

"That's true." He said and noticed something about his granddaughter, "You're serious?" He said, sounding almost surprised. He had initially assumed she was joking, but her reactions told him she was being serious. There was something else about her too, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It felt to him almost as if he wasn't really talking to his granddaughter, but that couldn't be right. He pushed that thought aside though, because it was foolish, he reasoned.

"I am." She said simply and waited for his reaction.

"Why so suddenly?" He asked.

"It's hard to explain, but please. This would mean a lot if you let me do this." She answered. 'Please, let that be enough.' Usagi thought to herself.

"You really have your mind set on this?" He asked and she nodded her head. "If that's the case, I'll let you if you know it will only be for a few days." Grandpa Hino said.

"Thank you!" she said and hugged the shorter man. When she released him, she was already heading to the door.

"Are you leaving right now then?" he asked.

"Yeah, and thanks so much for letting me do this." She said and ran out the door before he could say anything more. She ran down the hall, right past a confused Yuuichirou. She didn't even pause to allow him to say anything, 'I can't pretend to be her any more, this was hard enough. I just hope they really bought it.'

* * *

Mars' eyes cracked open and she looked around her surroundings. She tried to move her legs in order to stand, but found she couldn't move them too far. Mars' eyes opened wider so she could see exactly where she was. It was very dark; the only light was from the numerous torches burning on the walls. 'No, that wasn't the only light' Mars noted, there was light coming from her, or at least there was some light close to her. Mars looked at her hand and saw there was a glowing gold band on it. The band connected to a chain, that connected to the stonewall behind her. Mars quickly inspected her other three limps and the same was true for all of them.

'Where am I?' Mars thought and tried to remember where she was last. She shut her eyes and thought back, 'I was fighting with that youma from the hospital when another one showed up. Then Usagi showed up and…oh God.' "Usagi! Usagi, are you here somewhere?" she called into the dark room, but the only response she got of the echoing of her own call.

'Damn it, Usagi. You weren't supposed to come there…if you got hurt because of me…' she thought but her train of thought was cut off when she heard voices and they were getting closer. Once Mars realized the voices stopped in front of the door to the room she was being held in she closed her eyes and hung her head to make it seem as though she were still unconscious. Mars could sense the presence of two them, one was a youma, but the other one wasn't. It felt as if the other one was human, but she could tell that neither were a friend to her, she could felt such hatred and evil being emitted by them.

Mars heard the unlocking of a door, followed by the creaking of the heavy door being opened. She did her best to appear as though she wasn't awake. Mars could tell that two presences had just entered the room without opening her eyes, the same two she felt coming toward the room she was in.

"You can leave me with Mars." she heard one say.

"Are you sure?" the other asked, Mars recognized this one as being the second youma she fought earlier. She was about to stand up and attack the youma but then she realized her situation, 'I need to pick my fights, if I'm going to get out of this.' She thought when the other spoke again.

"Yes, Mars is no threat to me." the first one said again.

"As you wish." Ryuji said.

Mars could tell the one held power over the youma, 'Someone of a higher rank maybe?' she thought before hearing the sound of footsteps moving away, followed by the shutting of the door. Mars could tell that one left, but the other remained.

"You needn't pretend to be asleep, I already know you're wide awake." the remaining presence said. Mars felt a little annoyed that her act was so phony, her capture could see right through it. "Come on now, don't be shy." the woman cued.

"I can't express to you how good it is to finally meet you face to face." The woman said and crouched to get a better look at Mars' face. 'She has the same eyes…'

"Just who the Hell are you?" Mars asked angrily. She tried to angle her head so she could get a good look at the person's face, but quickly realized the person was in the perfect position so all that Mars could make out was the lower part of the person's face; the rest of the person's face was covered by the shadow their hood made. Mars surmised the person to be female because she wore a dark red lipstick.

'…that same temperament I see.' She thought as she stood. "I don't believe you're in any position to be making demands. Besides, my name is of little importance. I believe you're more interesting in knowing why you are here." She said and observed her reaction. She smiled to herself at Mars' surprised reaction, "But what am I saying, that's not the only question run through your head, is it? No, you're wondering why you're alive, where you are, who I am, and most importantly to you, you want to know if your Princess is safe."

"How…?"

"It's simple really; you're psychic after all aren't you?"

"Are you saying that you know what I'm thinking?" Mars asked.

"To put it simply, yes, but your questions; no matter how important they may be to you are of no importance to me." The woman said with a wave of her hand.

"Did you do anything to Usagi?"

"You really have a one track mind, don't you?" She said with a sigh. "Very well, if it focuses your mind away from her for a few minutes; she's fine and in the arms of her prince in fact."

"You better not be lying to me." Mars warned and glared at the mysterious woman standing before her.

"Don't call me a liar, based only on the fact that you don't wish to believe it. Who do you think is comforting her right now? Whose arms do you think she ran into once you were taken from her?"

"Shut up."

"You were the one who brought it up in the first place, so don't be angry at me for telling you the truth." She said arrogantly. "You would do best to think about yourself anyway. The only thing you can do from here is long for her anyway. Oh who am I kidding, that's what you do when you're right next to her anyway."

"I said, shut up!" Mars said angrily.

"I wouldn't be opposed to a subject change, but it's your mind still remains focused on her. Honestly, I can't see how you can do any task with that one-track mind of yours." She said smugly.

"Fine then, why don't you tell me what is it exactly that you want? Why have been attacking this planet?" Mars asked, hoping that would be enough to change the subject. 'This woman knows way too much…'

"The planet? This has nothing to do with the stupid planet or its people. I could careless whether this planet lives or dies. What I want is something so much simpler." She said.

"Then why don't you tell me what you want?" Mars asked.

"In due time child, in due time. First, there is something I want to do. In fact, I've wanted to do this since I stepped into this room and saw you. Rise." She said and made a hand gesture for her rise. Before Mars could do anything the golden bindings around her wrists started to glow brightly and pull her into a standing position, as if they was following her order. When Mars stood up fully the woman in the black cloak backed away from her a little. "Do you like those, they're my own invention. Not only do they obey my will, they also serve another purpose. They seal of your senshi abilities. They're quite ingenious, I think, and they are good to keep your powers in check."

"Do you fear me that much?" Mars asked and looked annoyed when she heard the woman standing before her laughing. "Is something funny?"

"It's not out of fear I do this. I just can't have you causing a scene with those annoying fire powers of yours that would only force me to hurt you. Rest assured though, you are no threat to me." The woman said.

"Then what are your intentions? Why have you done all of this? Why am I here?" Mars asked angrily. She was becoming frustrated the more she talked with this woman. Her answers, the few she gave, only lead to more questions for Mars.

"You really want to know that badly?" She inquired. Even though her face was obscured by a black hood, Mars had a feeling the woman wore a smirk on her face.

"Yes." Mars answered simple, trying to hold back her anger this time.

"That's good to hear, but your questions will have to wait. There's something I feel I must give you…something I wish to repay you for. I was interrupted before, but there won't be any interruptions here." She said and clenched her right fist at her side.

"What the do you mean 'repay me for'? I don't even know you." Mars said confusedly.

"Your present self no, but I could never forget your face…those eyes of yours…they're all the same." She said, but her explanation only caused even more confusion for Mars.

"What are you…?" Mars started say, but before she could finish the woman before her moved like a blur. Only a few seconds after noticing her movement, Mars felt her fist connect with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. The woman waved her hand and almost immediately the chains that were holding her in a stand position loosened and she fell to her knees. It took her a few minutes to regain her breathe, 'What is she? She isn't a normal person.' Mars thought and looked up at the woman.

"Oh come on, that couldn't have hurt  _that_  much, I didn't even put all my strength behind it. I don't believe you're so weak as to be hurt too much by that; you wouldn't still be alive if you were that weak." She said as she observed a kneeling Mars. "I guess my questions will have to wait for another day. It appears as though you've had a rough day, so let's continue this another time." She said and turned away from Mars. After only a few steps she stopped, "Don't forget that I have your life in my hands and you're only alive right now because I need you for something."

Mars glared at the woman's back, "And what would that something be?"

"You'll find out…when I want you to know." She said and started walking away again.

"My friends will search for me, you know. You won't get away with what ever you're planning." Mars called.

"I expect them to, but they won't find you, I'm sure of that." She said without stopping. She opened the door and paused for a moment before stepping through it, "I would get comfortable if I were you. Now that I have you I can take as long as I wish."

Before Mars could respond, the woman was already shutting the door. 'What is that supposed to mean?' she thought, staring at the closed door. She pulled the chain attached to her left wrist, trying to pull it out of the wall. 'I can't stay here; I have to make sure Usagi is alright.' She thought and pulled harder, but it was obvious she wasn't making any progress. She swore silently and stopped pulling, 'It's no good; I can't do it. I have to find some way to get back I have to. Please Usagi; be safe until then, until I can get back to you again.' Mars thought and lowered her head in defeat.

* * *

Usagi pulled her key out of her pocket and slid it into the lock. She felt bad about pretending to be Rei and lying to her family, but her logical side told her that was the only thing she could do. 'They shouldn't be worried about her. It's my fault, I wasn't strong enough to stop them from taking her.' She thought as she stepped into her house. Usagi slid off her shoes and headed straight for the stairs, she just wanted to lie down. She didn't want to be teased about being late and missing dinner, because honestly she wasn't very hungry anyway. She felt empty, not hungry, and Usagi knew that no amount of food could fill whatever the emptiness was.

"Usagi!"

The blonde girl stopped when she heard her name being called. When she turned around, she saw her mother in the doorway to the kitchen, "Why are you so late?"

"I'm sorry mom, I think I just lost track of time." Usagi said.

"Alright, but do think you could call home if you're going to…" She started to say, but stopped when she noticed she looked paler then usual, "Are you alright? You look like you might be coming down with something."

"I'm alright, just tired. It was a long day." Usagi said and did her best offer her mom a cheerful smile, but she feared that she failed miserably.

"Are you sure?" She persisted.

"Yeah, I just really want to get some rest. I'll be better in the morning." Usagi said optimistically and started to climb the stairs to her room.

"You'll let me know if you need anything, right?" Ikuko asked.

"I will mom." Usagi said and continued walking.

Ikuko looked up at her daughter sadly, she knew something was bothering her but she didn't know what it was. 'I'll be here if want talk about it.' She thought and turned to walk to the front room, where Kenji was watching television.

* * *

Usagi walked into her room and placed her purse by the foot of the door as she walked into the room. She didn't even bother to change in to her pajamas when she laid down on her bed. She pulled her blankets up and wrapped them tightly around herself. She closed her eyes, but when she did, she saw Rei; or to be more specific Rei being taken right before her eyes again. Usagi felt her eyes well up with tears, but she didn't have the will to stop them this time so she just let them flow unbridled down her cheeks. 'Where are you, Rei? Are you alright?'

* * *

Luna slipped into the room as silently as she could. As if by chance she bumped into Mamoru a short distance away from Usagi home. He told her about what happened and he said he was worried about Usagi, which is why he wanted to be closer to her. Luna hurried home after thanking Mamoru for telling her everything; she wanted to make check Usagi for herself.

Luna walked in and even though she wasn't being very loud, she could hear Usagi crying. Luna sighed approached Usagi cautiously, "Usagi…?"

Usagi turned over and looked at the foot of her bed. "Lu-Luna…?" Usagi asked quietly

"What good is my power if I couldn't do anything to stop them from taking her?" Usagi cried and tried to swallow back a new wave of tears, but found herself unsuccessful.

Luna looked at the girl sadly; she didn't know what to say. 'I can't think of anything to say…what do I say in this situation? I have to try to confront her anyway I can though…' "I'm sure we'll get her back." Luna said as confident as was possible.

"But we don't have any clues. Ami even tried searching the area for anything, but her super computer couldn't find anything." Usagi said dejectedly.

"You need to have faith. You know Rei better than anyone does. She is a strong and capable girl."

"I know all that and yet…" Usagi said and reached up to her chest and grabbed her compact tightly.

"And yet…" Luna said, urging the girl on.

"And yet, I can't fight this feeling in my heart that if we don't get her back soon, something awful will happen to her." She said and could feel tears fill her eyes again but she didn't let them fall. Usagi removed the object she was clutching from her clothing and opened it to reveal the crystal inside, "Luna, I can make wishes on this can't I?"

"Yes." Luna replied.

"Do they always come true?" Usagi asked quietly.

"Most of the time, but not always. Why?" Luna asked.

"Last night Rei wanted to tell me something and I was just thinking…what if I never get to hear what she wanted to tell me." Usagi said and removed the jewel from its place in her brooch. She held the crystal above her head and spoke, "Please, Ginzuishou, tell where Rei is." She said and paused for some kind of response, but nothing came. "Onegai." Usagi pleaded again, but again she got no response. It took even greater effort from Usagi to will her tears not fall when she received no response after her second plea.

Luna looked at Usagi sadly, she wanted to do something for her charge, but the only thing she could do was offer her comfort. "Usagi, you can't…"

"Onegai!" Usagi cried again. Usagi waited again for a response, but as before nothing came. The girl lowered her arms and stopped fighting the tears that had been threatening to fall for some time. Luna walked over to Usagi to try to comfort the girl when she saw her start to raise her arms again.

"Usagi stop! This isn't the way to go about finding her. You are only putting an unnecessary strain on your body. Just put the Ginzuishou back into your compact." Luna said seriously.

Usagi looked over to Luna sadly, but she still clutched the crystal tightly. "But Luna…"

"No, Usagi. Trying to force an answer that isn't coming won't help. You need to rest. Tomorrow, we can try to figure something out. After some rest, you'll also be thinking more clearly." Luna said and hoped that convince Usagi to calm down.

Usagi lowered her head and cried silently. She wordlessly put the crystal back in her compact and stood. She walked over to her dresser and landed the object on the top, before making her way over to her bed. She stopped and looked out her window. It was a cloudless night and the moon shone brightly in the night sky; it was that object Usagi looked up at. The moon always reminded her of her mother, she could always feel close to her mother when the moon wasn't obscured. She would often ask her mother for advice while she looked up at the moon before she went to sleep and usually when she awoke the next morning, she had some answer to her question.

'If the Ginzuishou won't answer me, I'll ask my mother.' She thought and climbed into her bed and knelt in front of her window. 'Why did something like this have to happen? The only thing I could do was sit back and watch…I failed her. I don't know what to do right now, but something tells me if we don't get her back soon something bad will happen. How can I find her mom? The Ginzuishou doesn't tell and no one else knows. I don't want to see anything bad happen to her, I couldn't bare to see anything worse happen to her. Please give me some guidance; I really need you right now.'

Luna watched Usagi look up at the moon, but didn't say anything. 'She is at such a loss right now and there's nothing I can offer her to give her comfort in this situation.' Usagi finally laid back in her bed and shut her eyes. Luna jump up on the bed and laid beside her head, instead of her normal spot at the foot of the bed. "Please do try to sleep; it doesn't do you or Rei any good to stay awake all night."

Usagi nodded her head, silently hoping she could get some rest if only to see if her mother would answer her questions.

End Ch. 20

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this chapter doesn't move the timeline along too much, it is still very important.


	21. Divide and Conquer

Chapter 21 – Divide and Conquer

* * *

Usagi moaned quietly and stretched her arms. As she stretched her arms, she noticed her bed was unusually hard and cold. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, it looked higher then it did normally and not only that there were numerous creaks that spread across it. Usagi took her eyes off the unfamiliar ceiling and looked down to where she was lying. 'What am I doing on the floor?' she thought to herself. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position and took in more of her surroundings. It became very clear to her that she was no longer in the room she fell asleep in. It appeared to be someone's bedroom, or at least it was at one time, the room was totally wrecked. Everything in the room seemed damaged in some way, even the walls were creaked to the point that Usagi thought they were liable to cave in at any moment. Her eyes fell on a bed that was only short distance from where she sat; in fact, it was within arms-reach. She reached over and used the bed to pull herself into a standing position.

Once she was standing she could get a better look at the room, it would have been beautiful, if it weren't for how damaged it was. She walked over to an end table at the head of the bed and looked at the clock. Something was strange because even though it appeared undamaged it was frozen, the second hand wasn't even moving. She tapped the top of it to see if that would activate it, but that did nothing to activate it. She was still inspecting the clock and didn't realize that she was no longer alone in the room.

"Enjoying yourself?" the person questioned.

Usagi jumped at the sudden noise and turned around quickly. Her shocked expression turned to one of joy when she saw who was with her, "Mom!" she called and ran to the woman in white. When she made it to the taller woman, she hugged her tightly.

Serenity held her back and said, "I'm glad to see you again, Serenity."

"Where is this? It looks like it's frozen in time or something." Usagi asked as she let go of her mother and looked around the spacious room.

"You don't remember?" The taller woman asked. Usagi shook her head no, so her mother explained, "This is your room. Or rather, it was your room on the Moon. As for it seeming to be frozen, in a way it is. It's frozen in you mind, this is likely the way the room was when you last saw it." She said and sat on the worn bed as Usagi examined her surroundings.

Usagi thought about it for a moment while she inspected the room more even more, when it clicked, 'This  _was_  my room, I remember now. That must be why I feel so nostalgic here…' she thought before turning to her mother, "I don't understand though, why am I  _here_?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, your mind subconsciously brought us here. Perhaps it is because something happened here, something that if you remember will give you insight in your current enemy's actions." Serenity offered gently.

Usagi looked at Queen Serenity hopefully, "Can  _you_  tell me anything about this enemy? And what they want with Rei?"

"I'm sorry I can not. I came to you because you cried out to me for guidance. Therefore, I am here to help you in any way I can. However, there are still limits to what I can tell you, you have to learn a lot of things on your own. Someone such as myself, who is no longer bound to a mortal body, can not interfere in some things even if it is to help you." Serenity explained and paused for a moment to observe her daughter's expression. Seeing Usagi's crestfallen expression, she sighed sadly. "Come and sit with me." Serenity said and motioned for Usagi to sit beside her on the worn bed. Usagi took up her mother's offer and sat down to her left. Once Usagi was sitting comfortably, Serenity put her arm around Usagi's shoulders and held her. "I'm sure this is difficult for you." Serenity said and Usagi nodded her head slowly. After a few moments of silence, Serenity spoke again, "I may not be able to tell you everything you want to know, but perhaps you have some questions that I can answer you on."

Usagi nodded her head and thought for a moment, 'What can I ask her about that she would be mostly likely to be able to answer?' When she thought about it, a thought struck her, "Can you tell me why the Ginzuishou didn't answer my question? Why didn't it tell me where to find Rei?" Usagi asked.

"This might be hard for you hear, but perhaps Mars' current predicament is something you can't interfere with. Perhaps, this is  _her_  battle and hers alone." She said.

Usagi stood up quickly and turned to Serenity, "I can't believe that! There's no way I can just leave her to fight this alone. She's always been there for me when I needed her and I want to do the same for her. She's…she's…important to me." She said and could feel her eyes fill even before she finished what she was saying.

"I understand your feelings; I don't wish to see anything happen to her either. I remember how very close the two of you were on the moon and I imagine the two of you are similarly close in this time. The two of you were always protective of each other. However, if the Ginzuishou refuses to answer you that could only mean that a higher power doesn't want you find her."

"Are you telling me I should just give up on trying to find her? That I should reside myself to whatever fate befalls her, merely because some power doesn't wish for me to help her!" Usagi yelled, more loudly than she intended.

Serenity shook her head slowly, "No, I would never tell that you have to sit back and wait for the unknown, I just want to let you know what you might be up against. When all else fails, when you're unsure of what you should do, just follow your heart."

"Follow my heart?" Usagi asked, sounding confused.

"Yes, trust in your feelings to know what path to go." Serenity said and lowered her head a bit. Before continuing, a small smile spread across her lips. "There's no need for me to tell you any more because I'm sure you already know what you feel you must do."

With a quick nod of her head, Usagi sat down next to Serenity, "Yes, I know." She said and hugged her mother. When she let her go, Usagi looked up at her again questioningly, "Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I can tell you no harm has come to her, for if anything were to happen to her, you would know it." She said and received a curious look from Usagi, prompting her to explain further, "I'm sure you recall your battle with the Dark Kingdom at their base, the D-Point." She said and got an affirmative nod from Usagi, "You were able to feel your soldier's passing, even when you weren't right next to them. This is a feeling I'm sure won't ever forget. This ability does not exclusively apply to their deaths. Rest assured that if something were to happen, something so severe it would cause their very soul to cry out to you, you would know then that something did happen."

"That sounds like the connection Mamo-chan and I have…" Usagi thought aloud.

"You're not too far off actually, it is the same and yet it's also different. The term for such connections is soul-bonds. You are bonded to your soldiers as they are to you and the same can also be said for your soul mate. The stronger your connection to that person the stronger the bond, so in those terms, soul mates have the strongest bond. For soul mates, the bond goes beyond just feeling when the other person is in trouble or in some kind of distress. Soul mates should be able to hear each other's thoughts, their actual words, if the one thinking has a strong enough will to project their thoughts to the one they are soul mated to."

"So I'll know if she's hurt or dies, but I can't do anything for her if that point ever comes because it would be too late anyway." Usagi said sadly and lowered her head.

Even though she tried to hide it, Serenity could see her body shake from silent tears. Serenity looked at her daughter sadly and sighed. "Even though I can't really help you here, have you thought about consulting Pluto? She has a link to the past and future the rest of us don't, even myself." Serenity said.

Usagi looked up at Serenity, but didn't look very hopeful about her suggestion, "Do you really think she might be able to help me? Whenever I ask her about the unknown she always gives me vague answers." Usagi said.

Serenity wiped away the wetness from Usagi's eyes before responding, "Being who she is, she must keep some things from you, but it's only with your best interests in mind that she does what she does, I know that. During my reign on the moon, I looked to her often for counsel and she helped me more than she'll ever know. She loves you as I do and if you go to her and sincerely ask for her aid, I have no doubt that she will tell you all she can."

When Usagi opened her mouth to thank her for her suggestion, she saw that the woman was starting to fade. Usagi looked surprised and saddened at the same time, but Serenity just smiled at her, "It appears my short time with you has ended. I'm happy to have seen you once again, Serenity. If there comes another time you need me please don't hesitate to call for me." Serenity said and smiled warmly at her daughter. She could feel her time with her daughter was just about up, but before that, she wanted to tell her one more thing, "If you should ever face a question or a choice that is difficult, simply follow your heart and you will never fail. I love you, my dear Serenity…"

"Wh-What do you mean?" Usagi called to her barely visible mother.

"When the time is right you will. Just don't forget following your heart can never led you down the wrong path. The Ginzuishou follows your heart; it has, and always will." Serenity said and paused for a moment and smiled at her daughter, "It appears my time is up."

"Wait…"

* * *

"…Mom!" Usagi called as she sat up quickly.

Luna, who was lying at Usagi's side, felt the movement and awoke just as quickly as her charge. When she heard what Usagi said, she looked up at her curiously, "Usagi…?"

Usagi looked down saw Luna looking at her. She took a moment to take a quick look at her surroundings and it became undeniable, that she was back in her bedroom. "I'm awake." She thought aloud.

"Yes, what were you…?" Luna started to say, but stopped when she heard someone approaching the door. Only a few moments later there was knocking on the door.

"Usagi, are you alright? I heard you call for me." A voice said from behind the door.

Usagi threw her blankets off herself, unintentionally trapping the small black cat that was on the bed with her beneath the covers, and jumped out of her bed. She hurried over to the door and opened it as soon as she reached it, "Sorry mom, it was only dream." She said honestly.

"Sounded more like a nightmare, from how you yelled." Ikuko said.

Luna was able to free herself just as Usagi's mother was responding to her, 'My thoughts exactly.' She thought to herself.

"Really it was just a dream." Usagi said.

Her mother looked at her for a moment, as if she was trying to make sure she was being honest. "Then why did you call for me like that?" she asked.

Usagi thought about it for a moment, 'Think of something plausible.' She told herself. "I'm not really sure, it just kinda came out when I woke up. I didn't mean to worry you." She said and hoped her mom would be satisfied with half the truth.

"Are you sure?" Ikuko asked.

Usagi nodded and added, "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Alright." Her mom said, sounding not entirely convinced though. She started to shut the door, but added, "When you're ready, breakfast is already prepared downstairs." She said and closed the door.

Usagi sighed and leaned against the closed door. Luna jumped off the bed and padded over to the blonde girl, "Usagi, what was that really all about?"

Usagi looked down at the black cat, "It was just a dream, like I said." She said and stepped away from the door.

"I know that wasn't 'just a dream'. There's more to it then that isn't there?" Luna asked.

"Yes, but it's not something you can help me with." Usagi said and went to her closet to get her school uniform. 'I have to at least act though I'm going to school.' She thought to herself.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked.

"I spoke with my mom." Usagi said and continued collecting her things for school.

"Queen Serenity?" She asked and Usagi nodded, "What did she tell you?"

"That I have to ask Setsuna my questions." Usagi said and started to head out the door, when Luna stopped her.

"What do you mean? Are going to see her now?" Luna asked, but Usagi didn't say anything. However, her silence did affectively answer Luna's question. "Are you sure this is something you need to do  _now_?"

Usagi nodded her head, "Yes, I have to do this now because if I wait, it might be too late." She said honestly.

Luna looked at her and saw a determination in her eyes. A determination to do this no matter what and nothing would be able to stop her. Luna sighed, "I won't stop you." She said and stood aside and let Usagi pass her. Before she did, she bent down hugged the small cat and quietly thanked her. A few seconds later Usagi was out the door.

* * *

Makoto opened her eyes and looked around. Almost immediately, she realized she wasn't in her apartment. She could hear the quiet breathing of someone to left. She sat up and her eyes traveled to the ground, where her blue haired friend was still sleeping peacefully. 'Oh right, I stayed over at Ami's place.' She remembered. Her gaze lingered on Ami as she remembered the previous night as they tried to decide on sleeping arrangements, 'And here I thought Rei was stubborn…'

"What are you doing?" Ami asked when she saw Makoto carry in a futon and start to prepare it.

"I need to sleep somewhere don't I?" Makoto said without even looking over to Ami. Ami walked up behind her taller friend and put her hand on her shoulder, causing Makoto to stop what she was doing and look at Ami. "What?" she asked.

"You're my guest here, so you can take the bed and I'll sleep on the futon." Ami said.

Makoto shook her head slightly, "No, because I'm a guest in your home  _I_  should be the one sleeping on the futon."

"Don't be silly, I want you to be comfortable here. So please take the bed." Ami said.

"I don't want you to put yourself out for me, Ames. I'll be fine on the futon." Makoto said and went back to preparing the futon.

Ami smiled at the nickname she used, but frowned when she saw her friend was still not accepting her offer. She walked around the futon, so she now stood in front of Makoto, instead of behind. "Come on, Mako-chan, I insist. I want you to be comfortable, so I want you to have the bed."

"But Ami…" Makoto started to say

"No more arguments, Mako-chan."

Makoto smiled and a thought struck her, 'I know the perfect way to thank her for letting me stay over here.' She thought and got out of bed as quietly as she could. She smiled when she made it out of the room without disturbing Ami and quickly headed to the kitchen.

* * *

Minako groaned and creaked open her eyes. She rubbed her eyes to see where she was clearly. Her eyes widened when she realized that she was in her room, but that wasn't the reason, she didn't remember walking back the night before. She sat up and looked at herself; she had grass stains on her school uniform as well dirt in various spots on her clothes. She was even still wearing her shoes, and yet she was lying in her own bed.

She spotted Artemis on the floor beside her bed asleep and decided to wake him. She only needed shake the white cat a little to wake him, he was a little sleeper. Once awake, he stood and jumped up on the bed beside her, "Oh, so glad you're finally awake Minako."

"Artemis, how did I get here?" She asked cautiously

"Well, I got worried when you didn't come back home last night so I went out to look for you myself. It didn't take me too long to find you, but when I did you were asleep on the ground. You looked so worn out that I didn't wake you." Artemis explained.

"Don't tell me you…?" Minako asked.

"I had to. I couldn't really bring you home in this form." Artemis said and motioned to himself with his paw.

Minako lowered her head, "I see your point…" she whispered. She lifted her head and added, "But what if you were seen?"

"I'm not an amateur Minako. Don't you remember who it was that trained you?" Artemis said

"Point taken." She answered quietly.

Artemis and Minako were silent for a few minutes before he decided to ask her the question that had been on his mind since found his charge alone in Ichinohashi Park. He jumped on top of Minako's bed and sat beside her. "Minako?" He started quietly.

"Yeah?" Minako responded.

"What happened last night?" He asked and waiting for a response, but Minako didn't say anything. "Minako, what happened last night?" He asked again.

"They took her." Minako said her voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" Artemis asked and looked at her curiously. When he looked at her, he could have sworn he saw a tear roll down her cheek.

"They took Rei." Minako explained. Artemis was about to say something when he heard Minako's mom said that breakfast was ready. Minako stood up and walked over to her closet on the other side of the room. "I've got to get ready for school; we can talk when I get back." She said took out her school uniform.

"Minako, why are you blaming yourself?" Artemis asked.

Minako stopped at her dresser, "I should have done more to have prevented it."

Artemis looked at her curiously, "I don't understand what you mean? You didn't know that was going to happen."

"I did know something was off though, something didn't feel right about our enemy, and something told me it had to do with Rei. Yet, I didn't do enough make sure she was safe." Minako said and opened the top drawer of the dresser. Minako took out the underwear she desired and started to walk away again when Artemis spoke again.

"You can't blame yourself for that, Rei a very capable person. I'm sure…" Artemis said, but Minako cut him off before he could finish.

"I'd rather not continue talking about this now. There'll be time when I get back from school." Minako said and walked out of the room before Artemis could say anything more.

* * *

Haruka pressed the gas more and achieved her more desired speed. Even though she wasn't in any particular hurry, it didn't feel right to her unless she was driving fast. Her eyes remained on the road, while her partner's were on her.

"So what exactly was it that you had in mind?" Michiru asked.

Haruka glanced over to her companion and smiled, "Let's wait until we get to where you're going."

"And where exactly are we going anyway? You haven't told me yet."

"Oh, I didn't? We're going back to park from last night." Haruka said, trying to sound as though she had forgotten, but Michiru saw right through it. Michiru was about to say something Haruka announced, "Oh look, we're here already!" Michiru sighed and sat back to enjoy what was left of their drive.

Haruka parked the car and she and Michiru exited the vehicle. They quickly made their way back to where they remember they were last night. Once there, Michiru turned to Haruka and again asked, "Alright we're here, so what exactly did you have in mind Ruka."

Haruka turned to her and smiled, "Well first we transform and then…"

"And then…?"

"Then we wait." Haruka finished.

"You mean that's it…I thought…" Michiru said, sounding a little confused.

"What?" Haruka asked.

"Well, from what you said last night I thought you had planned out a more elaborate strategy." Michiru said.

"After some thought, I realized it would be risky to show ourselves more publicly, it would only endanger innocent people. Then I thought about something Setsuna told us. She told us that there was a high likely hood that we're all being monitored somehow." Haruka explained.

"So essentially, it doesn't really matter where we show ourselves, just that we  _show_  ourselves." Michiru said and Haruka nodded at her deduction. "Do you really believe this will work, though?" Michiru asked.

"If Setsuna's right that we're always being watched, then yes. I say, why don't we use that knowledge to our advantage for once?" Haruka said and pulled her henshin stick out of her pocket.

"Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"

Michiru shrugged her shoulders and drew her henshin stick as well.

"Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Ami and Makoto walked into the near empty classroom and took their seats beside each other. Though Ami was used to being early, she was rarely with any of her friends. Especially when two of her friends were late, nearly everyday and Makoto would almost always arrive on time, but not early enough for the two of them to really talk. 'I finally have some time to talk to Makoto before class, but I don't know what to say. We didn't even talk too much last night after we got to my place. I guess we were both still wrapped up in the events of the previous night…' Ami thought. She'd never felt so useless, until last night, when she couldn't do anything to help find Rei. Ami sighed and tried to think of anything she could have done differently, something she might have missed.

"What is it?" Makoto asked.

Ami looked over to her, "Just thinking about last night." She said simply, but she didn't have to explain.

Makoto lowered head; they were going to have come up with some sort of plan to get Rei. They couldn't very well leave her with their enemy; there was no telling what they were doing to her. "We won't let them have their way, Ami." Ami simply nodded in response. Though the subject of last night wouldn't really leave either of their minds, Makoto felt a change of subject was in order, if only to change the mood somewhat. "Say Ami? Thanks for letting me stay over at your place last night."

Ami shook her head a little, "No, it was my pleasure. Umm…Mako-chan, thanks for the breakfast this morning." Ami said and turned away from her friend to hide her burning cheeks.

"Ami, for hundredth time, you don't need to thank me. It was my way of thanking you for letting me stay at your place last night." Makoto said.

Unknown to either girl certain blond haired friend had already taken her seat behind the two of them and heard their exchange. Being who she was, she couldn't help but comment, "Oh, what's this about breakfast?"

The two girls in front of her nearly jumped out of their seats. They both turned around that the same time and said together, "Minako, when did you…?"

Minako just smiled and said, "Only a few minutes."

"You shouldn't…" Makoto started to say, but she heard the teacher call for everyone to quiet down because she was starting class.

The rest of their first period went by slowly, because there was something that didn't sit right with the three senshi. Usagi hadn't shown up, and even though it wasn't unusual for her to be late, it was unusual for her to miss all of their first class. Even before the belled toned to signify the end of their first period, the three girls silently agreed to postpone going to their next classes to discuss their missing Princess.

The bell couldn't seem to come soon enough, but when it did, the three girls were the first out the door. Since there was a door that leads outside rather close to the room they were in, they headed there. At least there, it was far less likely someone could overhear them if they went outside and if they needed, they could quickly escape.

When all three girls were outside and the door was shut, Minako began, "Did Usagi inform either of you that wasn't coming to school today?" Both girls shook their heads no in response.

"I just assumed she was going to come to school today and try to act as though everything was normal." Makoto said.

"Like we are?" Minako asked quietly and was met with dejected expressions from her two friends.

"What do you think we should do?" Ami asked cautiously.

Minako sighed and thought over what they should do. Ami and Makoto both anxiously awaited Minako's choice of action. Finally, with another sigh Minako she spoke, "With our current situation, I say we assume the worst. We assume that something happened on her way to school, so our first and primary course of action is to find her and make sure she's really alright and I hope I'm just being paranoid here." All three girls nodded their heads and hastily left the school grounds.

The departure didn't go unnoticed though, because across the street from the school someone could be seen leaping from tree to tree in pursuit of the three girls.

* * *

Setsuna entered her study and sat down tiredly the large office chair at her desk. She got very little sleep the previous night, there was too much on her mind. Setsuna picked up a mug from the desk and took a healthy drink of black coffee. 'How did all of this good so wrong? Was it wrong to have trained her in the first place? I had my doubts after all and so did she…'

Pluto stood silently and observed the Gates of Time. Each gate leads to something different, but there were three larger gates that she was always to keep an eye on. Kiou no Seki, Konyo no Seki, and Mirai no Seki; from just these three gates she could find almost any answer she wished to know. Everything had variables though, so nothing she ever saw was definite, but even so most of the events she saw did come to pass and this was something that worried her. Despite the Queen's wishes, she looked into the future of her reign, but it's always been too clouded even for her sight. She sighed and shut the door to Konyo, 'They're still warring on Earth.' She thought when she felt the presence of another. She gripped her time staff tightly and pointed it at the presence in the fog, "Stop! Trespassers are not allowed to leave with their life!"

"Dead Scream."

The purple energy flew at the trespasser at an amazing speed. Before the energy could reach its target, a bright white light replaced it. Pluto dropped her time staff and bowed very low to the ground. "My Queen, I am so sorry. I did not realize it was you." Pluto apologized.

The person stepped out of the fog, as the light subsided, "You needn't apologize, my friend. It is I who should be apologizing. I should have known better than to try and sneak up on you  _here_." The woman wore a white dress, with no design on it except for golden circles around the bust. She had long silver hair done up with two buns on either side of her head.

"But still, your majesty…"

"Don't call me that here, Kameko. There is no one else here save for us and referring to me as such without being at court isn't necessary for a friend such as you. Please, would you stand as well; there is no need for formalities here." She said and motioned for Pluto to stand.

"As you wish, but may I ask why you're here? Is it because of Earth?" Pluto asked.

"While they are still refusing our assistance, I have not come because of that. It has been brought to my attention of a girl on the satellite of your home planet, Nemesis. They tell me of her outstanding potential. The alliance members are in consensus on this; they believe she is a new warrior that has yet to awaken." The Queen said.

"A new warrior? Are they seriously talking about another Sailor Senshi?" Pluto asked. 'There aren't supposed to be any more senshi for this solar system.'

"I'm leery about this as much as you are, but with as much power as I have; I could not sway them. That is also the reason why I came to you."

"What is it that you wish of me, Serenity?" Pluto asked.

"I want you to be the one to go and inspect her. See if she really does have the ability. If in your judgment she does, I wish for you to supervise her training." Serenity explained.

"Me? But, I can't leave my post here and training for a Sailor Senshi takes at least five years and even longer in most cases." Pluto said clearly confused.

"I need  _you_  to do this. I can trust you to do this for me."

Pluto bowed her head, 'I could never refuse her anyway' she thought to herself. "Alright, but I don't think it's possible for her to be a Sailor Senshi, I would have known before now."

"You have great vision, but even your vision is not without blind spots. This girl may have been out of your sight because she resided in one of those blind spots. As I said though, I'm not entirely convinced that she is as talented as they say. I'm told she possesses strengths similar to those of some of the inner planets. If it is true though and we do nothing, she could become the target of an enemy of ours…" Serenity said.

"The Dark Kingdom…" Pluto said.

"Or others, they are not our only enemies. I don't want an innocent to become a tool of our enemies."

"So, you wish for me to have her firmly on our side?" Pluto asked.

"It's not just that, the next line of senshi must be chosen." Serenity said firmly.

"What is it?" Pluto asked when she noticed her friend's seriousness.

"Surely you must know already…I'm pregnant."

**DING DONG**

Setsuna thoughts were interrupted by the loud echoing ring of the house's doorbell. Setsuna put down her mug and left her study to see who was at the door. It was only a quick walk down a flight of stairs to reach the front door. She did think it was a little curious that she didn't know that she was going to have visitor, let alone whom it was. She reached the door and opened it. Setsuna did her best to mask her surprise at her visitor, "Usagi?"

"May I come in please?" Usagi asked.

Setsuna stepped aside and opened the door wider to allow the blonde entrance, "Sure." Once Usagi was inside Setsuna shut the door, "I thought you had school today?"

Usagi nodded her head and looked at the older woman, "I do, but this is more important to me right now." She said seriously.

"What is it?" Setsuna replied with equal seriousness, though she had a good idea exactly what Usagi wanted to know.

"I want you to tell me everything you can about this enemy we're dealing with and why you think they took Rei." Usagi said and looked at the older woman seriously.

* * *

'I can't delude myself. I said I have all the time in the world, but with everything within my grasp, I can't help but want to do this a quickly as possible.' Kei thought and smiled when about the foolishness of her thought. 'I thought I would have gained some patience after a thousand years of solitude.' She thought and looked up at the door to the room when she heard someone start to open it. In only a few moments Ryuji stepped through the door and began approaching her. "Is there something you need, Ryuji?"

"No, however you told me to inform you if the Sailor Senshi started taking action." He said.

"Go on." Kei encouraged him to continue.

Ryuji bowed and continued, "Yes. Two of them, Uranus and Neptune have returned to where Kenjiro and I fought with Mars."

"And?" She asked.

"Aren't you concerned about them investigating that area?" He asked.

"No, it's a futile effort by them. If they believe they can find something there, they are mistaken." Kei said dismissively.

"They seem to believe we'll take some action against them, they almost seem to want us to take action against them." Ryuji explained.

"I don't play by their rules. There is nothing to be gained by engaging them in battle there." Kei said

"The Princess is separated from them; she's taken action on her own." Ryuji said, hoping that would get her attention. He smiled when it in fact seemed to.

"Explain." Kei prompted.

"She's gone to visit Pluto." Ryuji said.

'Pluto? Does she perhaps what to learn about me? Or perhaps, she wishes to know of my intentions with Mars?' Kei thought and smiled, 'Pluto isn't likely to give you the answers you seek.' She thought when an idea struck her, "What of the others?" She asked.

"They have been spotted leaving their schooling facility together a short time ago." Ryuji answered quickly.

"Is there any indication they are aware of the Princess' whereabouts?" Kei asked.

"No. As far as we could tell, they're completely unaware." He said.

Kei smiled and to Ryuji's ears, he could have sworn he heard quiet laughter coming from her. 'Perfect.' She thought to herself. "Dispatch three youma to intercept each girl once they separate."

"Three youma, for each girl? Isn't that a bit excessive?"

"Don't take these girls lightly. The worse thing you can do is be so cocky as to underestimate your opponents. Besides, this let's us take the next step because while they are occupied, Kenjiro will deliver a message to our little Princess." She said with a smirk.

"You seem confident, as if you knew this would happen." Ryuji thought aloud.

"Do you think I'm hiding something from you? It's as though, you believe I have the ability of foresight." She said and paused to gauge his reaction. He remained, as he always was, stoic. Kei shrugged her shoulders, "You think too highly of me, I think. There is only one person with the ability to see the possible futures and it's not me. Splitting up and looking in opposite directions for something that is lost, is the quickest why one can find that which they are looking for. It would be stupid to remain together, only divided can they cover all the ground they need to."

Ryuji nodded his head and brought up the next thing on his mind the reason he was even there, "What of Uranus and Neptune then?"

"Give them what they want, send Ichiro to keep them busy. The highest priority is that the youma, Ichiro included, keep the rest of the senshi from making it to the Princess before Kenjiro does what must be done. That's also where you come in Ryuji." Kei said and stood up.

"Me?" He questioned and watched as she approached.

"Yes, I need you to ensure Kenjiro doesn't let anything slip. He doesn't know much, but he mustn't be allowed to tell her anything of where we are its too early for that. If he does try to tell her, I expect you to do what ever it takes to silence him." Kei said seriously. She stopped and looked to Ryuji to make sure they're on the same page. Ryuji nodded and bowed slightly. Kei seemed to except that because she nodded in return.

"What about you?" Ryuji asked.

Kei continued walking, after hearing Ryuji's question, "Not that it's really any of your concern, but I'll be speaking with our guest. I have some points that I need to get across to her."

"What do you mean?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Don't concern yourself with matters you can't understand." Kei said sternly.

"Forgive me." He said as he bowed slightly.

"Just go dispatch the youma already. I'll speak with Kenjiro and Ichiro." She ordered. Ryuji bowed quickly and went down the opposite path she was taking.

* * *

Mars sat against the stonewall and sighed. She hadn't gotten much sleep, because continued to trying to find some way to escape. Despite all her efforts, she was still in the same position she was when she first woke up. She couldn't even tell how long she'd been there already, but she assumed it was morning or maybe even afternoon. Mars lifted up her arm and looked at her wrist and cursed. Even through her gloves, she could tell it was bleeding. 'The only thing I'm doing is hurting myself.' She thought and lowered her arm.

Mars eyes became fixated on the only door to the room, 'Someone's coming again.' She thought and focused on identifying the presence approaching. 'It's that woman again.' The door opened not too long after that thought and in walked exactly whom she suspected.

"I see you're not feigning sleep today." The woman said as she entered the room.

Mars looked at her angrily, "How could I sleep when I'm chained up like this?" she yelled and raised her arm.

"I see you've been hurting yourself." She said and shook her head, "I thought I told you it's useless to try to free yourself."

"I guess I'm just stubborn." Mars said sarcastically.

"I expected as much." Kei said a paused for a moment, "I suppose you understand the uselessness now?" she said but Mars didn't answer. Kei walked further into the room, but stopped before she was within reach of the senshi of fire.

"Why don't you just tell me what you want?"

"You know I've watched you for quite sometime now; well you and the other Sailor Senshi." She said, avoiding Mars' question.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you've been curious how I know of who you and your little senshi pals are. Well, even before your reawakening on Earth I knew it was only a matter of time before the Sailor Senshi would emerge again. The enemies of light were already working in secret, after all. So, I dispatched a number of youma that excelled in stealth to various places that the newly reborn senshi would likely awaken, places with the highest levels of evil energy. First Sailor Venus awoke, but she worked alone in England and under a code name, Sailor V, but that couldn't fool me. When she appeared it was a sign that the rest of the senshi would soon appear, it took a little over a year before finally another senshi awoke. I'll admit I was a little thrown off by the emergence of a Sailor Moon, but I realized this awakening was different and once she showed herself it was only a matter of time before all of you awakened again. In due time Sailor Mercury awoke followed by you and finally Sailor Jupiter. You caught my eye, unlike the rest though." Kei explained.

"And why would that be?" Mars asked.

"I was searching for something, but I couldn't very well do this right away. I needed to make sure you were strong enough." Kei said.

"What do you mean ' _strong enough_ '?" Mars asked.

"You didn't find the frequency of attacks on you peculiarly?" Kei asked.

"You were trying to kill me." Rei said.

"No, not kill, test. All of this has been a test, a test to see if you are worthy."

"Worthy of what?" Mars asked.

"Of being my key." Kei said with a smile.

* * *

Minako, Ami, and Makoto were now a good distance from their school, but they didn't have any luck finding Usagi. Minako motioned for them to stop as they approached an alley. Minako stepped into the alley and was followed by her two companions. "We need to go about this differently." Minako said.

"What do mean?" Makoto asked.

"We need to split up. We won't be able to cover enough ground if we stay together." Minako explained.

"That would probably be the quickest way to find her." Ami said.

"Everyone, keep out your communicators in case you run into anything." Minako ordered and the girls went their separate ways.

* * *

Makoto ran straight ahead after they stopped and decided to split up. Though she knew it would be a quicker way to find Usagi, she didn't know if it was the best idea to separate. 'Minako has the right idea for us to keep our communicators out in case we do find Usagi and she's in some kind of trouble.' She thought and stopped for a moment to quickly scan the street to her left for any sign of her friend.

She had just barely stopped when she felt like she was being followed; she didn't turn around and look though. Instead, she casually turned the corner and waited for the person she felt was following her. She only had to wait about a minute or so before she saw someone dressed in black, with a hood covering his or her face from view, stepping around the corner as well. Makoto instinctively threw a punch at the one that was following her. Her eyes widened when the person easily sidestepped the punch, 'Those aren't human reflexes.' She thought and stepped back, away from the youma. When she backed off she felt someone grab her from behind and hold her tightly.

The youma she attempted to hit looked up at her, "Nice instincts for a human." He said and started to walk towards her.

Makoto reacted on instinct and stepped on the foot of the youma what was holding her, causing him to loosen his grip and allow her to free herself. She pulled out her communicator, but had it knocked away by another youma that came from behind her. "I don't have time to play you guys." She said and pulled out her henshin stick this time.

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Ami ran to the left when the separated. She hoped they could find Usagi as soon as possible, but hoped above all that she wasn't in danger. She hurried down the street when a feeling overwhelmed her, a feeling that she was being watched. She looked to her right for moment and saw nothing, but when she turned to look forward again, she saw three rather large people standing in her way. She was so close to them by that time, though, that she didn't have the time to stop. She accidentally bumped into the middle one. She fell backwards from the impact, but the one she bumped into seemed completely unaffected.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you." Ami apologized.

The larger person in front of her merely started to laugh. Ami pulled herself up off the ground and looked at him curiously, when the other two started to laugh as well. "Funny bumping into you like this Sailor Mercury…" He said as he turned around. Ami's eyes widened and she immediately took out her henshin stick.

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Minako took off to the right when she saw that her friends had already taken off in the opposite directions. 'I wonder where she is. She didn't come to school, so something had to have happened; I just hope she isn't in trouble.' Minako thought. She quickened her pace in the hopes of covering more ground. A thought had crossed her mind that she may have returned to Ichinohashi Park. She started to speed up, but stopped herself when she felt the presence of something that wasn't human. The problem was she couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, she wasn't as attune to sensing presences as Rei was.

Minako dropped her speed so it wasn't much above jog, so she wouldn't be caught off guard by anyone. She reached into her pocket for her henshin stick, when out of the corner of her eye, she saw something coming at her from her right, and she stopped so abruptly the youma heading at her didn't have time to adjust and went right past her. He went into the grass by the sidewalk where Minako was standing. Minako looked at the youma, "Where's Mars?" She asked, but the youma only smiled at her. She noticed he gave a quick glance to his right, so she did the same. She barely had enough time to react when another youma leapt at her. She jumped backwards and was able to avoid the second youma.

Minako kept her eyes on the two youma, but before she knew it, yet another youma came at her. Instead of moving away from this one, she crouched down to avoid him. The third, like the other two missed her, but not by much. 'This is a little ridiculous; I can't stay on the defensive.' She thought and saw the three youma approaching her again. "If that's how it's going to be…" Minako said and took out her henshin stick.

"Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Uranus and Neptune were pretending to search the ground when they felt a new presence approaching them, an unfriendly presence. The two women glanced at each other and with a quick nod to each other, they turned around to where the presence was coming from.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

The two attacks combined and sailed into an area dense with greenery. The attack easily tore through the bushes and trees in its path and the two senshi could have sworn the attack hit its target, but after few minutes, they could see some movement coming from where their attack hit.

A tall youma stepped out of the area torn apart by the two senshi's attacks, looking unharmed. "We don't need to fight." Ichiro said.

"You're right, we don't need to. Just tell us where you have Mars and we'll go our separate ways." Uranus said.

"I can't do that." He replied.

"Why is that?" Neptune asked.

"I don't know where she is." Ichiro said.

"You're lying!" Uranus accused.

"I'm not, only  **she**  really knows." Ichiro said seriously.

"Who is this  _she_  you're talking about?" Uranus asked.

Ichiro smiled as he said, "Someone with far greater power than the two of you."

"Are you talking about your leader?" Neptune asked.

Ichiro turned away from Uranus and turned to Neptune, "Yes, and she's ordered me to kill the two of you. So I'll say this one more time, we don't need to fight."

"What would be the alternative?" Neptune asked.

"Give up your lives willing, because you can't win against me." Ichiro said confidently.

* * *

"Please Setsuna, you're the only person I can come to if I wish to learn anything, my mother told me this." Usagi said.

Setsuna looked at Usagi in surprise, "Your mother?"

"Yes, I dreamt of her last night." Usagi explained. She waited a few minutes and awaited her reply, but she didn't receive one. Setsuna seemed to be thinking over exactly what she should say. "Please Setsuna; I need you to tell what you know."

"Usagi…" Setsuna started to say, but some yelling from outside cut her off.

"Princess! Princess of the Moon! I'm here to call you out! Will you be kind enough to battle me once again?"

Both Setsuna and Usagi moved to look out the window. Usagi instantly recognized the youma as one of them from the night before. Usagi turned to Setsuna, "That's one of the youma that took Mars!" she said and ran to the door, but Setsuna was there just as quickly to stop her. "What are you doing? Let me pass!" Usagi demanded.

"No, that's exactly what he wants." Setsuna said and looked through the window again. "You stay here. I'll deal with him."

"But…"

"No buts, you stay right here." Setsuna ordered and took out her henshin stick.

"Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Kenjiro watched the door with interest. This was going to be his last stand and he knew it, but didn't stop the excitement from filling him. 'The battle, this is what I've always lived for. If I die here or if I succeed, there is nothing for me, nothing except this battle.' Kenjiro thought and took a sideways glance to a large tree that stood at the front the build he stood before, 'He's still there then. I guess he's here to make sure I do as I'm told and nothing more.' He thought and turned back to the house when he heard the door open.

He smiled for moment but faded so quickly it was barely noticeable. "I called for your Princess, not you Pluto."

"She is not here." Pluto said calmly.

"There is no need to lie, I know she's here. So is she coming out or not?" Kenjiro asked.

"I already told you, she is not here." Pluto said calmly, but more forcefully this time.

"She ordered me not to kill you, but she also told me to not let stand in my way."

"You will leave these grounds of your own accord or I will make you leave forcefully."

Kenjiro smiled and seemly ignored Pluto, "I guess this is the loyalty of royalty! I guess you care not that  **I**  have information on the one you lost last night, the one that controls fire! Will you let this one opportunity pass you by?"

"Be quiet! There is no one here save for me!" Pluto said angrily.

"Tell me what you've done with her!" Sailor Moon demanded.

Pluto turned around to see Sailor Moon standing outside of the house. She looked with a mixture of disappointment and worry, 'You're doing exactly what they want you to do Usagi.'

Kenjiro gave Sailor Moon a cocky smirk, "Maybe I'll tell you…if you can defeat me, that is."

"Fine, but if I defeat you have to promise to tell me where you've taken Mars." Moon said.

Kenjiro continued to smirk at Moon and shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, but that's only if you can beat me."

End Ch. 21

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember when I wrote this chapter and I am still particularly fond of the first scene in this chapter. 
> 
> It has the first and only use of the title in the story. At the time I thought of the title for this story, my thoughts were on all the events I had planned out and Rei's struggle not only physically but mentally. There was a time when I questioned it, but as I actually wrote out each chapter, I realized it really did sum up what Rei had to go through, that this was "Her Battle".


	22. Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru

Chapter 22 – Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru

* * *

Usagi snuck another peak out the window at the scene outside. She could hear what they were saying, Pluto said something about him leaving, but that wasn't what she wanted. 'Why isn't she asking him about Rei?' she thought, when she heard the youma make yet another loud comment.

"I guess this is the loyalty of royalty! I guess you care not that  **I**  have information on the one you lost last night, the one that controls fire! Will you let this one opportunity pass you by?"

'I won't. If Pluto won't ask him, I will.' She thought and clutched her compact on her chest.

"Moon Crisis, Make Up!"

In only a few moments, Usagi was transformed into Super Sailor Moon and was out the door. She heard Pluto say something else to the youma, but she didn't pay any mind to what she said. "Tell me what you've done with her!" Sailor Moon demanded.

Pluto turned around to see Sailor Moon standing outside of the house. She looked at her with a mixture of disappointment and worry, 'You're doing exactly what they want you to do Usagi.'

Kenjiro gave Sailor Moon a cocky smirk, "Maybe I'll tell you…if you can defeat me, that is."

"Fine, but if I defeat you, you have to promise to tell me where you've taken Mars." Moon said.

Kenjiro continued to smirk at Moon and shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, but that's only if you can beat me." Kenjiro watched as Pluto stepped in front of Moon protectively. "I do have one stipulation; Pluto is not to interfere with this. If she does, our agreement is off."

Without even taking a moment to think about it, Sailor Moon answered, "I agree to your stipulation."

Pluto turned around quickly to face Sailor Moon, "You can't agree to such a stipulation. You don't even know if you can trust his word."

"Well, you're certainly one to talk after you just lied to me." Kenjiro said, but neither senshi even acknowledged he said anything.

"My mother told me something else in my brief time with her. She told me to 'follow my heart' and that's exactly what I'm doing now. The worst case is that he's lying and using Rei as a ruse to start a fight, but what if he's not? What if he's telling the truth? I can't risk letting this opportunity pass by, Pluto. He's our only clue to finding Rei." Moon said honestly.

Pluto looked surprised by what she just heard, "…Sailor Moon…"

"I'm only doing exactly what Rei would do for me if she were in my position." Moon said quietly and stepped around Pluto. She now directed her attention to youma in front of her, "You have my word that Pluto will not interfere with this."

Kenjiro smiled when he heard what Sailor Moon said, "Good. Now let us begin then!"

* * *

"Give up our lives willingly? You must not know who you're dealing with." Uranus said.

"Oh, on the contrary I know the two of you well enough. It is the both of you that don't know me; my power far surpasses that of my bothers." Ichiro said and looked between Uranus and Neptune.

"Why don't we just see about that?" Uranus said and gave a quick nod to Neptune. Uranus then took off into a sprit and made it behind of youma in mere moments.

"What's this?" Ichiro asked, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he looked from Uranus to Neptune and back again.

"We're going to take you down a peg or two." Uranus explained.

"Big words." Ichiro said with smirk.

"World…"

"Deep…"

"Didn't you two already do this?" He yelled over the two girl's attack calls.

"Shaking!"

"Submerge!"

Ichiro shook his head and waited for the two attacks to collide with each other and reach him. Then just before that were to happen, he darted to his left and out of harms way. He looked ahead to find the shorthaired girl and make few comments about how useless that attack was, but she was nowhere to be found. He quickly looked around to find the senshi, 'How did I lose track of her?' he thought when he saw a glimpse of someone to his left. He turned his head fully in that direction, but he found nothing.

"I'm right here!" Uranus yelled from in front of the youma.

Not giving the youma time to react, Uranus threw a punch at the youma face. She smiled as her fist met its target. The force was enough to push youma back several meters. He quickly stopped his momentum by crouching down and digging his claws into the ground. Once he stopped himself, he glared hatefully at Uranus and started to stand, but he remembered something, 'Where's the other one? Neptune…' He looked his right just in time to see that very Senshi baring down on him.

Ichiro leap away from her when he saw her clenched fist, only to be pursued by the blonde who had just punched him. Uranus attempted to kick him in his midsection, but he blocked that with his forearm. She followed her kick with a number of jabs to youma's upper body and face, but he was able to either slap the strikes away from his body or simply avoid them.

Ichiro cursed under his breathe as he saw Neptune hurrying to join the fight. He tried to put some distance between him and Uranus, but she only seemed to double her efforts to strike him. He dodged another punch from Uranus, only to see a new fist enter the fray. He raised his arm and guarded himself Neptune's fist, but with his attention on Neptune, Uranus was able to connect with a punch to his ribs. Ichiro bit his lower lip, 'This isn't the way to fight these two.' He thought and guarded himself from more attacks. 'It's about time I showed them how I  _really_  fight.'

He smirked when he saw that the two Sailor Senshi were trying to punch him at the same time. He reached up as the fists came closer and caught them. Ichiro held both girls' fists as tightly as he could, he didn't want them to free themselves. He smiled at them and said, "I do believe I'm going to enjoy this more then I thought I would."

Ichiro released their hands and quickly performed a leg swipe and knocked each girl to the ground before they could react. He took this moment to leap away from the two senshi, "Now I have a better idea of what you two are capable of but…" He said and cracked his neck to the left and then the right, "Now this is where the real fight starts!"

* * *

Sailor Venus stood in front of the three youma and look from one youma to another. "Tell me where I can find my friend, now!" She demanded. The youma just looked at each other and laughed. Venus looked angrier at their lack of a real response, so raised her hand and pointed it at the youma to the far right.

"Crescent Beam!"

The youma were still laughing until they heard Venus call out her attack. The concentrated energy beam flew at the youma target at great speed. The youma on the right eyes widened when he saw where the beam was headed. He tried to escape its path, but by that time, it was already too late. He cried out as the attack hit him square in the chest. His scream was silenced only moments later as he fell lifelessly to the ground. The two other youma stared at where their partner fell, as he slowly became nothing but dust.

"Don't take me lightly! Either one of you tells me what I want to know, or I'll send another one of you to the netherworld with your comrade." Venus said dangerously.

The two youma looked at her angrily followed by both growling at her like some feral beasts. Without any hesitation the two youma charged at Venus. She stood ready in a defensive position and prepared herself for what ever the two youma had to throw at her.

Rather then attacking individually, as they did before, they attacked together. Venus held her ground and waited for the youma to reach her. The first one to reach her telegraphed his attack, 'A right handed punch to my left side' she thought and sidestepped the strike to her right. In the same motion, she stuck her foot between the youma's feet, tripping him as he went by.

Venus' attention now turned to the second youma that was just reaching her. Having obviously seen her handle hand-to-hand combat with his fellow youma easily, he took a different approach. She saw the youma stop before he reached her and point his hand at her, 'An energy attack.' She thought.

"Venus Love Me Chain!"

A glowing golden chain appeared in her hands. Before the youma had a chance to fire off his attack, Venus threw one end of the chain at the youma. The chain wrapped itself round the youma's torso tightly and Venus gripped the chain more secure, with both of her hands. She could feel the youma struggling to free himself, but she didn't intend on letting the youma go until she was ready. Out of the corner of her eye, Venus saw the youma she'd deposited on the ground earlier leaping at her once again. Venus waited a moment before acting. She didn't want the youma to be able to avoid her attack somehow. Venus let go of the chain that was holding the one youma, causing him to fall backwards. With her hands now free, she turned around quickly to meet the youma, held her hands above her head, and called out her desired attack.

"Venus Wink Chain Sword!"

Golden chain appeared in Venus' hand, similar to 'Venus Love Me Chain'. However, instead of it being a flexible chain, it formed into a solid sword-like weapon. Not wasting any time, Venus swung down with her sword at the oncoming youma. He didn't have a shot to evade it, nor was he even able to scream as the weapon sliced through him and severed him in two.

The last youma watched on as another of his brethren died at the hands this Sailor Senshi. What remained of him lay on either side of the blonde warrior that killed him. Despite the amount of blood shed, the Sailor Senshi had very little on her person. 'She's good, there's no doubt about that.' The youma admitted to himself.

Venus swiftly swung her weapon towards the ground to her left, cleaning it of most of the youma's blood. She looked at the final youma, "Do you have an answer to my question?"

Youma's only response was to grit his teeth and glare at the blonde warrior.

* * *

Mercury looked at three imposing youma warily and backed away from them slightly. 'This isn't good; I don't think can handle all of them.' She thought and hastily looked around the area.

"You can't escape…" One youma said.

"….there is nowhere for you to hide…" The youma beside the first said.

"…and all your friends are too busy to help you now. So, you're all ours." The final youma said with a smile.

'I don't like this…' Mercury thought. "What do you know about my friends?" she asked.

The youma that was the last of the three to speak moments ago was the one to answer her question, "They're being taken care of, so don't worry about them."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mercury demanded.

The youma smiled and looked to his left at the other youma, "Spread out!" he ordered. Mercury watched as one youma ran and positioned himself a good distance from her left, the other went the opposite direction but positioned himself the same distance from her right, and the other remained in front of her. "Make this easy on yourself and don't put up a fight. We'll end this quickly if you take my advice."

Mercury didn't say anything; instead, she reached up to her ear and pressed her lowest earring. The youma's smiled seemed to widen even more at Mercury's choice of action. With her visor down, Mercury could see all three youma were preparing some sort of various energy attacks. Her eyes widened and she looked for some way to escape the attacks, but only one way came to mind. Mercury watched the youma released their attacks and waited a few moments before taking the only action she could. Just as the attacks were about to hit her, she crouched down and jumped as high as she could.

Mercury rose above the explosion caused by the youma's attacks. She silently hoped the smoke gave her escape some cover, 'Maybe they'll think I was hit and give me an opening.' she thought. She looked at each of the youma and hopes were dashed. All three seemed realized the girl wasn't hit and were currently searching for her. Thankfully, none of the youma seemed to realize she was in the air, rather then on the ground. She noticed one particular youma turned their back to her from her position above. Mercury realized she quickly descending and she had to take action before she landed and brought more attention to herself. 'This is my shot to get at least one of them.' She thought and started to call upon her powers.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

The youma turned around when he heard the girl said something. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the wave of energy charged water headed right for him. He looked from left to right as the though he were trying to escape the inevitable, but it was useless as the attack was moving too fast for him to avoid it. The attack collided with his chest and since he was able to offer little defense from the attack, it didn't stop with just hitting him; it sailed straight through him, causing a gaping hole in its wake.

Mercury landed gracefully back on the ground and smiled a little at her small victory, she'd finally taken out one of the youma. Her smile faded quickly when she a stinging pain in her upper left arm. She turned her head and saw four deep cuts on her arm. She fell into a sitting position and held her arm. 'He must have gotten behind me.' She thought.

Mercury looked up and saw that the two remaining youma were stand together in front of her. The larger of the two licked his claw-like nails. Mercury could see they were all stained with red. Once he was satisfied with clean his nails he turned his head to Mercury, "You taste good human."

* * *

Jupiter took a deep breath and eyed the three youma warily. Each was different color, green, blue, and red, respectively, but all three of them wore long black trench coats to cover their distinctively inhuman appearances. 'This is just great, I'm supposed to be looking for Usagi to make she's not trouble, but I find some of my own.' Jupiter took a step back as one youma took a step towards her. 'I should end this as quickly as possible. If they found me it's likely Usagi and the others are in trouble too.' She thought. "I didn't know you freaks came out in the day light." Jupiter remarked.

"So this is what a Sailor Senshi looks like…I'm not impressed." The red youma said.

Jupiter directed her attention to the youma that just spoke, "The same goes for me."

"Enough talk! Take your positions!" The blue youma ordered.

The youma started to move when Jupiter called out, "Stop!"

"What?" the blue youma asked impatiently.

"A friend of mine was taken, another Sailor Senshi. Can any of the three of you tell me where she is and if she's alright?" Jupiter asked.

The three youma looked at each other for a moment, before the green one spoke up, "We don't know of whom you speak of, but knowing  **her** …the Sailor Senshi you speak of is already dead."

Jupiter's eyes widened at the youma's words, 'She can't be dead.'

The three youma smiled and took this moment to act. Two of the three ran to opposite side of Jupiter, while the blue one remained where he was. The movement caught Jupiter's attention and brought her mind back to the situation at hand. 'These youma don't know what they're taking about, Rei can't be dead. They're just trying to make me lose focus.'

"This is the end of you." The blue youma said, interrupting Jupiter's thoughts.

Jupiter glared at him, 'I need to even the odds a little bit here.' Jupiter looked her left, her right, and then back to the youma in front of her. 'This is perfect; I just need to get rid of these two for a few minutes.' She thought and took a quick glance to her left and right side to make sure the two youma were still there. She put her hands together, "You three don't know what you've got yourselves into."

"Don't act so cocky, Sailor Senshi. We know where your strength lies and we won't be engaging you in close combat. We've been told to dispose of you and that's exactly what we'll do." The youma to the front of Jupiter said.

"Don't think I'll go down that easily…" Jupiter said in response. She extended her arms out towards the two youma on her sides, "Here's a little taste of my power."

"Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!"

Two large funnels of wind flew from Jupiter hands and hit the youma on both sides of her simultaneously, sending them high into air, as if they were caught up in a tornado. Jupiter took that moment to run challengingly at the youma straight ahead of her. He took a step back as Jupiter closed the distance between them in a split second. She noticed his surprised state and decided to use that to her advantage. Jupiter punched the youma as hard as she could in his chin, but he only staggered back. She followed up with four successive punches to the youma's torso. The youma grunted after each strike and Jupiter took that to mean that they hurt him. Jupiter realized the two other youma weren't likely to remain in the air much longer so she performed a quick spinning kick to the youma's chest, sending the youma back a few steps. 'It's time I finished this one off, before the others land.' She thought.

Not wanting her attack to have any chance of missing, Jupiter ran up to the shocked youma and pressed her hands to his stomach before calling forth her attack.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

The electrified ball of energy left Jupiter's hand and pierced the youma's belly. The attack sailed straight through the youma, leaving a wide hole in his torso. The youma dropped lifelessly to his knees and Jupiter turned around just in time to see the two youma she sent in to the air crash loudly into the pavement.

* * *

Sailor Moon approached Kenjiro cautiously, she remember this youma. Not only was he present when Mars was taken, he also was the one that attacked Rei in the hospital. She remembered that when he attacked Rei at the hospital, he hurt her, 'Because she protected me. This time there isn't anyone to help me.' She thought to herself. She smiled though when she felt someone approaching, 'I guess that's not entirely true.' From when she last fought with him, she knew he was no push over.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pluto back away, seemingly to give the youma and her room. In the back of her mind, she realized that even though Pluto agreed not to interfere, she knew if she did get into serious trouble Pluto would still step in. This was her opportunity though, their only clue to finding Rei, and she was glad Pluto seemed to stand down for the time being.

"I see Pluto has no choice, but to obey you." Kenjiro remarked.

"She has a choice, but she, like I, understands that if this is the only way you'll tell me where my friend is then she respects my agreement to do this." Sailor Moon said.

"Whatever, that's not important anyway. The important thing is that she keeps her nose out of this." Kenjiro said.

"You already have my word on that." Sailor Moon said.

"Good, I'm eager to see if you can put up a better fight then Mars did." He said and saw the surprise in Sailor Moon's eyes and took this moment to act.

Kenjiro charged the girl as fast as he could. Sailor Moon blinked a few times when she saw the youma running at her before she expected him to. As soon as he was close enough, he threw a punch at her face, but she hastily raised her arms and guarded herself from the blow. She managed to get her arms up quickly enough to affectively block the punch. He didn't let the unsuccessful strike slow him down though because followed up with a kick aimed at the girl's side. This time Moon couldn't react quickly enough, so the kick hit its target.

Sailor Moon grimaced as she felt the kick hit her and stepped back from him, wanting some distance between them. Kenjiro merely advanced on her quicker. He attempted a quick jab, but Moon spun away from it. She stood and ran further away from him. When she had created enough distance between them, she reached up to her tiara and turned around to face the youma again.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

She threw the golden disc at the youma, but he just shook his head and waited for the disc to reach him. When the projectile closed in on him, he simply sidestepped the disc and looked at Moon questioningly, "This is the best you have?"

"I'm not done yet." Sailor Moon declared loudly and charged the youma.

Kenjiro couldn't stop himself from smiling, 'She has no skill in hand to hand combat.'

Moon went for a quick punch, hoping to catch the youma off his guard. The youma however, simply ducked her attempted punch and noticed the girl left her midsection completely unprotected so, he countered with a quick uppercut to the girl's stomach. Sailor Moon hunched over on to the youma, but he just backed away from her, allowing her to fall to the ground.

Kenjiro looked down at Sailor Moon, "That's seriously the best you could offer up? Is this the extent of your power?" He watched in disgust as Sailor Moon coughed and held her stomach. He shook his head, 'Did she lie to me again? How can this girl be the Moon Princess of legend? Where is that great power that all of that family possess?' he thought. 'Let's see if this gets her show me a bit of her power…'

"And here I thought you wanted to know where your Sailor Senshi was? Or is it that you don't really care after all?" Kenjiro asked.

Sailor Moon looked up at the youma angrily and pushed herself off the ground. She quickly ran at the youma, her previous pain forgotten for the time being. Kenjiro smiled a little at the girl's eagerness, but that faded quickly when he realized Moon was upon him quicker then he expected. Moon threw a fist as hard as she could at the youma's face. Kenjiro's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected move. Kenjiro knew this attack was unavoidable, so he did the only thing he could do; he took the blow with a smile.

Kenjiro was knocked to ground from the force of the punch and he could feel a trickle of blood leak out of the corner of his mouth. He licked away the dark liquid when he heard footsteps approaching him. He could tell the girl had somewhat let down her guard when she knocked him down, so he took advantage of it. Kenjiro swept Sailor Moon's legs out from under nether her with a quick leg sweep as he lay on the ground. He jumped back on to his feet and threw a vicious kick at the blonde senshi, but he only caught air as she quickly rolled away from it. Kenjiro was thrown off balance long enough to allow Sailor Moon to get back to her feet.

Once standing again, she ran at the youma, hoping to catch him off guard again, but she wasn't so lucky this time. Kenjiro saw her coming and when she threw another punch at him, similar to the one she connected with only a short time ago, he caught her fist in his hand.

"That's not good enough!" He yelled and pushed her fist back, causing the blonde girl to stumble backwards a little. Seeing an opening, Kenjiro spun around quickly and kicked Sailor Moon in the chest. Sailor Moon was knocked back several meters into a tree. She gasped for breath when she hit the object and fell to her knees.

Pluto watched as Sailor Moon fell to her knees and looked sadly at her. She could see the girl was trying her hardest, but her attacks were all ineffective. Her grip on her staff tightened as the youma approached a prone Sailor Moon, 'I can't let this continue like this, he'll kill her.'

"Good-bye Sailor Moon." Kenjiro said and held his hand out at the blonde.

"Catastrophe Ca…"

His attack phrase was cut off when he felt something pierce his hand. He looked at it to see the cause and saw a rose had pierced straight through his hand. He growled angrily and looked around to find the culprit.

"I won't forgive anyone for attacking a maiden with such brutality!" a voice called from the tree Sailor Moon knelt beneath.

A young man dressed in a tuxedo and top head leapt down beside Sailor Moon. He offered her his hand, which she accepted. He pulled her up to her feet and the duo stood together, looking at the youma.

* * *

Uranus and Neptune stood together and faced the youma. "Don't hold back on our account." Uranus said confidently.

"If that's how you want it…" Ichiro said and raised his hands above his head.

"Darkness Wave!"

The youma called his attack and threw his arms down. Both Uranus and Neptune took guarded positions, but to their eyes, it seemed like the youma didn't even use an attack. The smirk on the youma's face and their intuition told them otherwise though. Suddenly Uranus and Neptune were thrown backwards by some unseen force. Both Senshi fell to the ground hard. They lay on the ground for a few moments, before both sat up and looked the youma.

"An invisible attack?" Uranus muttered to Neptune and she nodded in response. Neptune stood up and summoned her Deep Aqua Mirror to her hand.

"Submarine Reflection!"

Neptune pointed the mirror at the youma, but she found nothing unusual about him. She turned to Uranus for second and Ichiro threw his hand in Neptune's direction. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the youma's movement and turned quickly back to her mirror. The image of the youma was gone and the mirror was covered in darkness. In the darkness, Neptune started to make out something white coming at her, fast. She opened her mouth to say something, when she was thrown back to the ground, and lost her grasp on her mirror.

"Neptune!" Uranus got up and started toward Neptune, but she felt herself being knocked away from her and into the ground.

"Foolish! Do you want to take me up on that offer from earlier?" Ichiro asked.

"Like hell we would!" Uranus shouted and summoned her weapon to her hand.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

Uranus swung her sword downward causing a number of blades of wind to fly at the youma. Ichiro watched the blades approached him, but before the blades could get too close, he decided to take action. He swung his hand in front of himself and in a few moments the blades that were once flying at stalled in midair. Suddenly the started back in the direction from where they came. Uranus raised her arms, to offer up some protection, and braced herself. She gritted her teeth as the blades cut into her arms. She cursed as her own attack had been used against her.

"You don't get it do you? I'm way out of your league."

Uranus got up and charged the youma, but the youma seemed unimpressed with her effort and merely swept his arm out in front of himself, similar to how he dealt with her attack only moments earlier. Before Uranus even got close to him, she felt herself struck by that same unseen force again. She was knocked to the ground with enough force to cause her skid across the grass. He saw Neptune start towards him so he threw a punch in to the air, in the direction Neptune was coming from. She, like Uranus, felt herself struck again and was knocked back to the ground.

"I think I forgot to tell you, I don't need to summon that attack every time I wish to use it. I merely need to summon it once and then it is at my disposal for as long as I wish." Ichiro said with a smile.

* * *

Jupiter watched as the two youma got back to their feet. She observed their surprise to see their ally was already slain behind Jupiter. The Sailor Senshi smiled at them as they glared at her, "Which one of you is next?"

Both youma seemed to answer her question because they ran at her with hate in their eyes. Jupiter prepared herself by taking a defensive stance as the youma came at her. They reached her at the same time and both threw punches at her. Jupiter blocked the two attempted strikes with both of her hands. The two youma then switched to their other hands, but she blocked them as well. They backed off slightly and seemed to decide on different approach.

One youma stayed back while the other charged the senshi. The youma threw another punch at her and she shook her head a bit, they were better off attacking together. Jupiter grabbed the youma's hand and threw him over her head. The youma landed head first, cracking the ground as made contact with it. Jupiter saw the other youma coming her way, but she performed a quick kick to the youma's midsection, knocking him back a little. Before he could recover, Jupiter decided it best to try to take down one of them.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Several electrified leaves sailed from Jupiter to the unsuspecting youma. He wailed in surprised and pain as the attack tore through him mercilessly. He fell to his knees without saying another word and then lay onto his stomach.

With only one youma left, Jupiter hoped she had demoralized the youma enough to the last one the easiest. She turned to where the youma was laying, but her eyes widened when she saw the youma was no longer there. She looked around, 'He can't be too far.' She thought. Just then, Jupiter heard loud footsteps from behind getting closer. She started to turn around when the youma ran into her back. The Senshi was knocked forward into the brick wall that lined the street. She was quick enough and had enough presence of mind to put her hand in front to lessen the blow.

She could hear the youma laughing behind her, obviously thinking that he had won or at least injured the girl. She cursed silently, her arms stung painfully. Even though they were nothing serious, the numerous cuts Jupiter sustained throbbed. It was times like this she wished their uniforms covered a little more and offered better protection. After a few moments she silently pushed herself away from the wall, "Attacking a girl from behind…that's lowest of the low." She said dangerously.

The youma stopped its laughing when he heard Jupiter and even though she still had her back to him, she could have sworn she heard him shuffle backwards a little. Jupiter finally turned and faced the youma again and without another word, she charged him. The youma stepped back, dropping his defense, and Jupiter wasted no time taking advantage of it. She threw a myriad of punches at the youma, each landing in a different spot. She finished off her assault with a kick to his midsection. Jupiter stepped back and called upon her powers once more.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

He didn't have a chance as the attack flew at him with great speed and in only a few moments the youma was dust. Jupiter sighed looked around, she was sure her friends had run into the same trouble she did. 'No rest for the weary I guess.' She thought and ran to her left, hoping she would be able to reach one of her friends if they needed her.

* * *

Mercury forced herself to stand and grimaced as she did. Sure, she had finally taken down one of the youma, but her moment of success was short lived. She covered the cuts on her left arm as best she could with her opposite hand. She winced as she held the wounds; it hurt, a lot. 'I have to stem the blood flow.' She thought to herself. The brief respite was ended when she heard the youma that injured her say something.

"It's over for you, Senshi. You can't beat us one-handed."

Mercury glared at the youma that just spoke and stood up straighter. She let go of her injured arm, silently hoping she wouldn't loss too much blood, and pressed her earring. A blue visor dropped down over her eyes, causing the two remaining youma to laugh.

"That won't work, don't you remember you already tried that before." The larger youma said and continued to laugh. Mercury didn't say anything, but kept a hard gaze at the youma and raised her hand.

"Shabon Spray!"

As soon as she called forth her attack the battlefield's temperature dropped significantly. As well as a temperature change, the area steadily became less and less visible, until the visibility was nearly zero.

The slightly shorter youma looked to the bigger one and asked, "What is this? It suddenly so cold and I can barely see anything."

"Calm yourself, it's merely a trick." He replied calmly. The youma looked around his foggy surroundings, 'She trying to make up for her poor fighting skills by reducing our visibility.' He thought and then realized something else, "Get away from me, you fool." He said and pushed the youma.

"Hey what's the big idea!" He yelled angrily.

"She wants us to stay together; we'll be easier targets then." He hissed.

The other youma nodded even though he knew the other youma likely couldn't see him anyway. Everything was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The two youma began to wonder whether girl had escaped. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, the larger youma could have sworn he saw the faint glow of blue off in the distance.

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"

The larger youma watched as the attack flew in a different direction then where he was. He distantly heard a loud cry of pain, but didn't concern him, the Sailor Senshi made herself known to him and that's all he needed know.

"There you are!" The remaining youma called when he saw where the water based attack came from. He pointed his hand at the blue haired girl and a bright red ball of energy flew at her.

Mercury's eyes widened when she saw the energy sailing at her. She raised her good arm just before the attack could hit her. The force was enough to knock her to the ground. She gasped as she felt the wind knocked out of her from her collision with the cement. Mercury lay there for a few minutes to allow her to regain her breath. 'I can't stay like this. He'll find me.' She thought and forced herself to sit up. Once in a sitting position she saw that very youma standing over her.

"Looks like the effects of your attack have worn off." The youma said and started to make his way towards her. He seemed to have observed her heavy breathing and poor defensive stance, "You also seem to be low on energy. I'll end this quickly then." The youma stopped a few steps away from the girl and lifted his hand above his head.

Mercury's eyes focused in on the youma's hand, his claws seemed to grow right before her eyes. She saw him rear back his hand and shut her eyes. 'I don't have the strength to defend myself. I'm not strong like…like…'

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The youma gritted his teeth as the electrified leaves pieced his back, almost refusing to cry out. He fell to his knees in front of Mercury, "This isn't over…you don't have the strength…to stand up to  **her**." He got out before falling face first into the cement.

Mercury looked up from the quickly decomposing youma to Jupiter. She was more then a little surprised to see her fellow Sailor Senshi there, not to mention her saving her from a nasty fate at the hands of the youma that now lay dead in front of her. Jupiter hurriedly made her way to where Mercury sat. As the tall girl made her way closer, Mercury could see her body was marred with cuts, dried blood, and spots where bruises were already starting to form. Mercury gave a relieved sigh when she realized nothing the other girl had sustained would be too serious. However, another thought crossed her mind then, 'She didn't get those injuries here. She must have been in a battle before arriving here.'

"Jupiter, how did you…?" Mercury started to say, but she was cutoff before she was able to finish.

"Don't worry about that." She said quickly and knelt beside her. Jupiter's attention became focused on Mercury's bloody arm. She could see four deep cuts just below her shoulder and on the upper part of her arm. "We've got to get that taken care of." Jupiter said worriedly.

Mercury shook head 'no', "We have to find the others, they probably need our help as well." She said, wincing even as she spoke.

"No, I'll take you somewhere to have that taken care of first. Then I'll go and find the others to see if they need help." Jupiter said and put her arm around her friend's waist. She carefully eased the girl up to her feet and started to help her walk.

"Usagi's well-being comes before mine, Makoto. You such find her first, I can make it just fine on my own." She protested.

Jupiter stopped for second after what Mercury said. "Undo your transformation first." She said and Mercury complied, believing the girl had listened to her reasoning. Instead, Jupiter swiftly picked the girl up and started running as fast as she could.

Ami blushed at the way Jupiter held her, 'bridal style', but she couldn't let herself be distracted. "Jupiter, wha…" Ami started say, but Jupiter interrupted her.

"That's all the more reason to get you treatment as fast as I can, so I can get back out and look for her." Jupiter said and picked up her speed. "I'm not as fast as Uranus, but we'll be there in no time." Jupiter said and looked down quickly at Ami and winked at her before speeding up her pace even more.

* * *

The last youma looked at Venus angrily, his two partners were killed with such relieve ease. He wasn't told the Sailor Senshi possessed such strength as to kill two of his fellow youma without even breaking a sweat.

"Why do you fight as you do?" The youma asked.

"Because you took someone precious from me and I want her back." Venus said, pointing her sword at the youma accusingly.

"That's all. You fight with the ferocity of a demon because of some stupid human emotion?" The youma said.

"Call it what you will, but my power thrives on my emotions." Venus said.

"And that's why you're weak." He said.

"What?"

"I had only heard tales of you senshi, and now after fighting with you I understand why your reputations are what they are." He said and held his hand out to his side; moments later a sword materialized in is extended hand. "However, you can't win on emotions alone."

"Why don't we just see about that?" Venus said and readied herself for combat again. Venus held her sword in a guarded position, in front of herself.

The youma must have noticed that Venus wasn't going to make the first move, so ran at the girl with his weapon in front of himself. He swung down at Venus, but she parried away the blade. He quickly followed with a horizontal slash, but even as Venus blocked it, the youma continued to press further. With him focused on her hands, Venus saw another opening. She gave him a solid kick to the chest, knocking him to the ground.

The youma quickly got back up and charged Venus again. He stabbed his sword at the Senshi, but Venus ducked the stab attempt and grabbed the youma's wrist with her free one. She tightened her grip on her sword and thrust the blade upward. The youma gasped in surprise and pain all as the golden sword impaled him. He tried weakly to free his hand, but Venus twisted the blade causing the youma to cry out loudly before becoming limp. Venus withdrew her sword and pushed the youma aside and onto the ground.

Venus looked around; all the blood and bodies of youma had disappeared. Their bodies decayed into dust and were taken by the wind, as was their blood with them. She dropped her golden weapon, once it left her hands it faded in a bright flash of gold. The golden senshi dropped to her knees, she just killed three youma and she wasn't even short on breath. She got no satisfaction in this; it was nothing more then a hollow victory. Three youma were dead by her hands, but she didn't gain any knowledge as to where Rei was or even if she was all right.

In the back of her mind, she heard a voice telling her to 'get up, what if Usagi needs you.' She tried to ignore it, but it grew increasingly louder and harder to ignore. She knew the voice was right, her duty lied with protect Usagi, above all else. Venus stood and silently chastised herself forgetting that, 'Rei would never forgive me if I let Usagi get hurt.' Venus looked around again, but this time to try to decide which way to go, she didn't know where the girl was after all. Venus decided on continue in the same direction she was originally going. She took off as fast as she could, when she realized something, 'If I keep going this way, I should run into the outers' house. Maybe one of them knows where Usagi is…' she thought and increased her speed a little.

* * *

Kenjiro pulled the rose viciously from his hand and threw it to the ground. He cradled his bleeding hand against his chest and glared at the tuxedo-clad man standing protectively by Sailor Moon. 'What the Hell is this? She told that as long as Pluto didn't interfere, she would take care of the other nuisances.' He thought and directed his anger at the only one he could.

"You agreed that there would be no interference!" Kenjiro yelled to Sailor Moon.

Tuxedo Kamen spared a sideways glance at Pluto; he had wondered why she wasn't aiding Sailor Moon. 'It looks like this youma has just given me that answer.' He thought. 'It did seem like she was going to step in just before I did though.'

"I gave my word that  _Pluto_  wouldn't interfere, I have kept that promise, and I expect you to do the same." Sailor Moon said.

"That deal is off! Your senshi's whereabouts shall remain with me!" Kenjiro yelled.

"That's not fair! We had an agreement!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"Yeah, we  **had**  an agreement and that no longer exists."

"Please, you have to keep your word! Tell me what you what from me to keep your word. I'll do it!" Sailor Moon declared.

Tuxedo Kamen turned to Sailor Moon, clearly surprised by her words. 'Usako…'

Kenjiro smiled when he heard what Sailor Moon said, "Tell  **that man** , he mustn't interfere either!", pointing at tuxedo-clad man to further drive home his point.

Sailor Moon looked to her side, to the man that just protected her from some attack the youma was going to use. She saw he was about to say something to the youma, but she put her hand on his arm. Tuxedo Kamen looked down at her, "What?"

"Please, stay with Pluto and let me do this by myself." She said quietly.

"Why?" He asked.

"He-he promised to tell me where Rei is if I fight him alone." Sailor Moon explained.

"You can't trust him." Tux countered.

"I don't have any choice. If he can lead us to Rei, then it's all worth it." Moon said and looked at her boyfriend, hoping he understood.

"I don't want to see you get hurt." He replied and turned away from her, no longer able to maintain eye contact with her.

Sailor Moon reached up and turned his face back to hers so she could look into his eyes once again, "I won't get hurt." She reassured him.

He stared at Sailor Moon for sometime before finally sighing. "I won't interfere if you truly feel this is what you must do."

Moon nodded, "I do."

"Then I'll adhere to your wishes." He said.

Tuxedo Kamen then proceeded to bent down to Sailor Moon and she in turn leaned up to the taller man. He started to move closer and closer to the blonde's welcoming lips, when at the last moment he turned his head slightly and kissed the girl on the cheek. He turned away from her quickly and started to walk towards Pluto. As Moon watched Tuxedo Kamen walked away from she wondered why he didn't kiss,  _really_  kiss her, like he used to.

Kenjiro watched as Tuxedo Kamen joined Pluto, "Shall we continue?"

Moon forgot the thought, turned to youma, and nodded. She quickly reentered her fighting stance. Kenjiro took this to mean she wanted him to start things off, which he was happy to oblige. Kenjiro ran at Moon before jumping into the air and trying to kick the girl, but Sailor Moon easily sidestepped it. With his next attack, he went low, attempting to take her feet out from underneath her, Moon jump over his legs as they swept under her.

As Kenjiro came back into a standing position, Sailor Moon took this opportunity to take to offensive. She threw a flurry of punches at the youma. Kenjiro however, was able block all of Sailor Moon's attempted punched and was even able to counter with some of his own, but Moon blocked them as well. Kenjiro couldn't help but smile, he was enjoying himself, but he knew all good things must come to an end. He blocked another of Moon's punches and reared back to throw one of his own, but stopped and performed a kick to the girl's chest instead, knocking the girl to the ground.

Sailor Moon pushed herself off the ground and saw Tuxedo Kamen start to run towards her, "Don't come!" she called to the masked man. She forced herself to stand, swaying a bit in her effort to try to find her balance. Moon looked at Tuxedo Kamen, almost apologetically, "Please. I have to do this on my own."

Tuxedo Kamen looked as though he still wanted to act, but he felt a hand on his shoulder stopping him. "She wants to do this on her own. We can't enter this until the fight is over." Pluto said quietly. She gripped her time staff more tightly as she added, "No harm will come to her here. I won't let it ever come to that."

Tuxedo Kamen looked at Pluto for a second before nodding his head slowly, "I just hope she knows what she's got herself into."

Kenjiro looked at Sailor Moon, "Would you like for me to end your suffering now?"

"You haven't told me where Mars is yet and if defeating you is the only to get that information, I won't stop until that happens." Moon said and reached up to her tiara.

"That attack won't hit me, so don't even bother with it." Kenjiro said confidently.

Sailor Moon smiled at the youma's declaration, "You haven't seen all of my abilities yet."

"Moon Twilight Flash!"

After Moon uttered the words of her attack, a bright white light emitted from her tiara and engulfed the area, blinding anyone unfortunate enough to have not protected their eyes. Kenjiro, who closed his eyes as soon as he saw the light being emitted by the girl's tiara, cursed mentally, 'I can't see a damn thing.' He tried to open his eyes, but he shut them quickly after barely opening them a fraction of an inch. "What does this accomplish? You can't see a damn thing either!" Kenjiro called out.

"You're wrong. You are currently surrounded by the light of the Moon and I can see you just fine." Sailor Moon said.

"You're bluffing!" Kenjiro yelled in the direction her heard the girl's voice come from.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

Kenjiro opened his eyes as wide as he could and frantically searched for where the attack was coming from. His grew more and more frantic as the moments went on, 'If I can't see where the attack is coming from, I can't avoid it.' He thought when he heard a gust of wind to his left. He turned that way only to be hit full force by Sailor Moon's strongest attack. The attack sent the youma flying into the air backwards, only to crash back to the ground a few short minutes later. Kenjiro looked up at the sky again, everything was clear.

On the outskirts of the mansion's grounds, a dark figure could be seen running into shadows and away from the place where the battle took place.

* * *

"I'll admit this was more fun then I thought it would be, but it's over now." Ichiro said. He raised his hands high above his head. Within a few seconds, they started to glow a bright yellow. Just as Ichiro reared back his hands and opened his mouth to shout some attack, when a new youma jumped in front of him.

"It's time to return. Kenjiro has failed in his mission. Sailor Moon has killed him."

Uranus and Neptune looked up at the other youma, 'Sailor Moon?' they both thought. Uranus was the first voice her shock though, "What did you just say about Sailor Moon?"

The large demonic creature turned around slowly to the girl that just spoke and smiled, "It's exactly as I said, Uranus. Your Princess has killed the youma that kidnapped Mars last night."

Uranus' legs shook unsteadily as she forced herself to stand. Neptune moved beside her love to help support her, being the least injured of the two. Neptune looked at the youma questioningly, "When did all this happen?"

"It appears the two of you were too busy to realize how much danger your Princess was in." Ryuji said with as smile.

"You son of a…" Uranus said and started to head towards the two youma, but Neptune held her back.

"I would save up that energy of yours for when the real battle begins. I look forward to that day, Uranus and Neptune." Ryuji said with a broad smile and turned around. "Come along, this fight is over." He said to Ichiro. The other youma merely nodded and followed the larger youma. Ryuji raised his hand and summoned his weapon to his hand. He sliced down and created a tear out of thin air. Before stepping through it he turned back to the two Sailor Senshi one more time, "You might want to return home, your Princess is already there." He said before stepping through the tear, closely followed by the other youma.

Neptune looked at Uranus, "We've got to get go back home." She said and Uranus nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Now, tell me where she is!" Moon yelled.

"She's dead." Kenjiro said without emotion.

"You're a liar!" Moon yelled and ran up to the fallen youma, but Tuxedo Kamen blocked her way by stepping in front of her. Tuxedo Kamen proceed to head to the youma instead. Tuxedo Kamen knelt down beside him, grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him up forcefully.

"She's not dead so don't lie to us. You promised to say her whereabouts after you were defeated, now tell us!" Tuxedo Kamen said angrily.

Kenjiro tried to laugh, but only ended up coughing up black blood. "You believed me when I told you that?"

"Don't you have any sense of pride in your own words?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

"I just want to know where my friend is." Sailor Moon said sorrowfully and fell to her knees before starting to cry. She was trying to be strong, but she just wanted Rei back, she wanted her to tell her to stop being such a cry-baby, she wanted to bicker with her like they always did, she just wanted her friend by her side again. 'It hasn't even been a day and I already miss her so much.' She thought.

Kenjiro looked over to a crying Sailor Moon, "It seems, I wasn't lied to this time, you truly are the Moon Princess then?"

"Wh …?" Moon started to say, but Tuxedo Kamen talked over her.

"Who told you that?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

"That  _woman,_ the one behind the attacks on this planet." Kenjiro answered and looked back at Sailor Moon, "She holds a great grudge against you."

"Against me?" Moon asked confusedly.

"What is her name?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

He looked at the tuxedo-clad man, "Hell if I know. I wasn't important enough to know that." He said and paused to look at Sailor Moon again. "Beware of her; she seems to want to go to any lengths to ensure you suffer as much as possible." Kenjiro said before coughing up some more blood.

"Why are you saying this?" Moon asked.

Kenjiro smiled, "Who knows? Maybe because, you've released me from this life I owe a debt of gratitude to you."

"Then tell me one more thing, where is Mars? How can I get to her?" Moon asked frantically.

"I don't know. What I said earlier was only to be used as bait to draw you into a fight." Kenjiro said and coughed up a little more blood. "After seeing you today…I realize now…that she has…always has at least one ulterior motive…in taking her." Kenjiro said, but by now, he was having a hard time breathing.

"What do you mean?" Moon asked curiously.

"She always…always told me…our goal was…to kill her. Then she…went and did this. I thought…she might hate…her more, but I think…she hates…the both of you equally."

"Equally?" Moon asked and Kenjiro nodded. "But why?"

Kenjiro opened his mouth, as if to say something, but instead a coughing fit shook his body. 'My time is at an end, but there's one more thing I can tell her.' He thought to himself. "I don't know…where Mars is…but…if you can find… **her** … you'll find…your Sailor Senshi…" He trailed off.

"Where is she then?" Sailor Moon asked quickly

"She's…she's…" Kenjiro said and opened his mouth to say something else, but nothing came out. His eyes slowly closed and he became limp in Tuxedo Kamen hands.

"Where?" Sailor Moon asked again, more franticly this time.

Tuxedo Kamen lowered the youma to the ground and turned to Sailor Moon, "He's dead."

Sailor Moon looked at him, hoping she misheard what he just said. Tuxedo Kamen shook his head slowly, without Moon even voicing her question. Crystal tears filled her eyes and she bowed her head dejectedly, "Our only clue to finding Rei is dead."

Tuxedo stood and walked closer to Sailor Moon and knelt beside her. He put a comforting arm around the girl's shoulders and held her. Moon leaned into the welcoming embrace. She turned so she could lay her head on the dark hair man's shoulder. She buried her face into Tuxedo Kamen's dark clothed shoulder and cried.

Pluto watched silently as the youma became nothing but dust. Her gaze didn't stay on the decaying youma for long because she unconsciously looked over to Sailor Moon and lowered her head. 'You want me to tell her what she faces, Serenity? You put this decision on my shoulders?' she thought and looked at Sailor Moon again. Pluto sighed and started to approach the kneeling girl. When she reached Sailor Moon, she put her hand on her shoulder, "Usagi?"

Sailor Moon turned her head and looked up to Pluto, questioningly. "I think it's best to tell you what's going on. That I tell you, what Rei is up against as long as she remains in  **her**  hands."

* * *

"Of being  _what_?"

Kei smiled and turned away from Mars, "There's plenty of time for that. First, let me apologize."

" _Apologize_?"

Kei turned around to address Mars, "For striking you yesterday. You see, it occurred to me that I might have given you the wrong impression. It's not really  _you_  that I dislike; it's more that I dislike what you represent. I hate that I know what you would do…what you  _have_  done, to continue this endless cycle. You would blindly follow the Princess of the Moon to what ever end, wouldn't you?"

"What would you know?" Mars asked.

"More then you could possibly understand. I know all too well how very strong the bonds of destiny can be. You can't avoid it. I'm sure the threads of fate have already ensured your future."

"My life is mine to live as I choose." Mars said.

"Is it? Do you honestly believe that? Did you choose to live in the unsightly way you have been?" Kei said and waited for Mars response, but she remained silent. "You understand then. The impenetrable wall that is destiny will always be in your way and preventing you from getting what you want. It's not hopeless though, I've taken steps to see to that. However, a small problem has become all too clear to me. I've come to learn from past experiences that I can't beat destiny alone." Kei said.

"So, you aligned yourself with these… _creatures_  around here for that purpose."

Kei shook her head and knelt in front of Mars, "No, no, no. You still don't understand, do you? They are simply a means to an end."

"And that would be…?" Mars asked.

"To help me obtain my key." Kei said simply.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mars said angrily. She was really getting tired of these stupid riddles.

"You, my dear, are going to help me bring about an end to this god forsaken destiny of servitude and bring in a new era."

" _Help you_? I would never help you! I would die first!" Mars yelled.

"I expected that answer from you, but you say that only because you don't know everything. You don't know how very similar you and I are. Once you know that you'll understand." Kei said.

"I'm nothing like  _you_!" Mars countered.

Kei couldn't help but smile when she heard that, "Oh you are, but you know so little right now. I don't know if it was by your own choice or someone else's, but you've forgotten. Would you like for me to enlighten you?"

"I don't care to hear your lies!"

"Lies? Are you saying that what you feel for Serenity is a lie?" Kei observed at Mars' angered reaction and said, "Would you be more comfortable if I call her Usagi?"

"I would prefer if you shut you mouth entirely!"

Kei smiled even wider at Mars' reaction, "No, I don't think you want me to shut my mouth. Deep down I know you want to know."

Mars opened her mouth to counter what Kei just said, but she put her finger on Mars' lips and muttered some indiscernible words before whispering, "Silence." She watched in amusement, as Mars still tried to speak, "Don't strain yourself now. Just sit back and let me give you a little history lesson…"

End Ch. 22

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember when I wrote this how easily the fights flowed in this chapter, so that made them a ton of fight to write. I particularly had fun writing Usagi and Minako's fights.


	23. Past

Chapter 23 – Past

* * *

"I think it's best to tell you what's going on. That I tell you, what Rei is up against as long as she remains  **her**  hands." Pluto said quietly.

Sailor Moon whipped her eyes quickly with one gloved hand, "You mean…?"

Pluto nodded her head slowly and paused for a moment to undo her transformation. "You requested that I give you any information I can about what's happened recently. I've come to the realization that I can't let this continue as it has been, you have the right to know what's going on. However, you must know there are still some things that I cannot tell you. You must find them on your own."

Sailor Moon nodded her head quickly. She didn't expect Setsuna to tell  _everything_ , but what the older woman just said gave her some hope. Hope that Setsuna would be able to shed some light on their enemy and more importantly Rei's whereabouts. Sailor Moon stood up and undid her transformation. Tuxedo Kamen followed her example and did the same. Usagi walked up to Setsuna and they both started back to the older woman's house. Mamoru silently followed the two women. Once all three of them reached the stairs to her home, Setsuna turned around and faced Mamoru.

"I'm sorry, Mamoru-san, but you can't come with. What I have to say is for Usagi's ears and hers alone. She is free to tell you and anyone else anything she wishes afterwards though." Setsuna said.

Mamoru looked at Setsuna for a moment and though he would rarely question the senshi of time in such matters, he felt he should here, "If this pertains to Usako's safety, I believe I should here this too."

She shook her head slowly in response, "What I have to say does not merely pertain to Usagi's safety, but to that of her senshi, namely Rei. I understand your wish to be present, but as I told you Usagi may discuss with you anything I tell her later, or if she chooses, she doesn't have to. I'm bending enough rules to tell Usagi what I can, Mamoru-san."

"But…" Mamoru started to speak, but Usagi finally broke into the conversation.

"It's alright Mamo-chan. I'll tell you everything after wards." Usagi promised.

Mamoru looked at Usagi for a few minutes, he appeared to be mulling over what the girl just said. 'I guess my time away from you has forced you to grow less dependent on me or maybe…' Finally, he nodded his head in agreement. "Alright, I'll stay out here until you're done."

Usagi smiled brightly at the dark haired man, "Thank you, Mamo-chan." She said and began to walk to the house again, but stopped when she noticed Setsuna hadn't moved.

"Since you're going to remain outside, Mamoru-san, could you tell the girls, when they arrive to remain outside as well? That includes Haruka and Michiru." Setsuna said.

Mamoru didn't need to ask how she knew the girls would be there soon, he simply nodded his head in response, "Sure, I can do that."

Setsuna bowed slightly and added, "Thank you, I appreciate your understanding."

She kept her head lowered as she turned around and walked past Usagi to the door. Usagi started to turn to follow Setsuna, but stopped and looked back to Mamoru. "Thanks again, Mamo-chan" She said before smiling and following Setsuna inside the house.

Mamoru couldn't hold back a smile of his own as he watched Usagi enter the building and the door close behind her. 'I guess standing back and letting her do what she need to do, is one way of helping her. I did tell her, we'd get Rei back and if this will help, I can't stand in the way. Still, I can't help but wonder why Setsuna insisted I not be there too. I'm sure she has her reasons.'

Once inside, Setsuna motioned for Usagi to follow her and she lead her up the large staircase near the entrance. When they reached the top Setsuna, she turned left, Usagi followed closely behind her. Usagi hadn't realized how large the building was, it was quite spacious for three people. They continued walking until they reached the end of the hallway and a double-doored room.

Setsuna pulled out a key and unlocked the doors. She put her hands on the doorknobs and turned her head to Usagi, "Are you ready?" She asked, though in all honesty she already knew what Usagi's answer would be. 'I'm merely delaying the inevitable. Am I worried about her reaction? I'm breaking a rule that I set for myself, to not reveal the past myself, to instead allow everything to come out at it will. There's been enough damage already, will this repair that or make it worse?'

"Yes, I am." Usagi said determinedly, breaking Setsuna's train of thought.

Setsuna nodded and proceeded to open the doors. She stepped to the side to allow Usagi to enter the room first and she did so. Usagi awed at the sheer size of the room, not to mention the number of books that filled the room. There were enough books lining the walls to make Ami jealous. She heard the door click shut after a few more moments, followed by the clicking of Setsuna's heels against the wooden floor. "This is one my studies, my favorite actually." Setsuna explained quietly and Usagi nodded in acknowledgement.

"Please sit down. I believe this will take a while." Setsuna said motioned to the loveseat in front of where she was standing. Usagi silently walked around Setsuna and took a seat on the offered piece of furniture. Setsuna took the same path as Usagi, but instead of sitting beside Usagi, she sat on a chair that stood facing the loveseat. Usagi watched her expectantly while Setsuna sat back and sighed softly, 'It would be best to keep everything I tell her to a bare minimum though. I know she'll find everything out in time, even what I don't tell her.'

"Setsuna?" Usagi questioned, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to decide where to start. I guess the best place to start is at the beginning…"

* * *

"Now then, tell me, do you have any memories any at all of your previous life?" Kei asked and looked at Mars for her answer. She smiled at Mars' attempts at speech, "Oh, please forgive me, I had forgotten." She said and waved her hand, "Better?"

Mars gasped and glared at the woman standing before her. "What the Hell kind of game are you playing!" Mars yelled.

"There's no need to get so upset, as you can see the loss of your voice was only temporary. If you can control yourself, perhaps I won't need to do that again." Kei said.

"Why don't you just tell what you want and stop playing games?" Mars said.

" _Games_? This is far from a game. This is life and death! This is Destiny and freedom!" She announced loudly. Kei took a deep breath and added in a quieter voice, "But there's time later to discuss all that, for now just answer my question."

"What question?" Mars asked.

"I don't like have to repeat myself, but perhaps you were so absorbed in trying to speak you didn't pay attention to me. So, I'll do you a favor and repeat myself, but don't expect me to do it again. Do you have any memories, any at all, of your previous life?"

"What does that have to do with any thing?" Mars asked.

"Must you continue to ask such pointless questions? There is no need for me to answer that question, nor any others you have. You merely have to answer my questions. Of course, if you choose not to answer, I can always silence you. I can do all the talking…" She said and looked at Mars intently. "I see you doing a better job of hiding your thoughts. I'd expect nothing less from someone with you abilities. Though it appears that you don't have any intention of answering me and if that's the case…" Kei said and lifted her hand up. Mars could hear her muttering something and afterwards her hand started to move towards Mars.

"Fine." Mars said quietly.

"What?" Kei asked stopping her hand before it reached Mars.

"I said, fine!" Mars said loudly and after a moment Kei dropped her hand to her side, so Mars continued. "I don't know what it matter to you, but I can honestly say, I don't recall much from my past life."

"But you do recall some things. What do you remember?"

"I remember the destruction of the Moon Palace, some of it at least. I remember fighting with my friends, everyone fell, even Venus, she was supposed be the strongest. I remember dying. I remember seeing Princess Serenity running towards me as I lay on the ground. She yelled something, but I couldn't hear her, there was too much noise. I remember, before she reached me everything went black." Mars said quietly. 'Where…where…did that last part of memory come from? It just came out as I spoke about it…'

'That's it? That should make things easier…' "You don't remember anything before that?" Kei asked, interrupting Mars's thoughts.

"I told you I don't remember that much! I've told you what I remember, so tell me what my previous life to do with anything!" Mars demanded.

"It has to do with everything! It's where everything started and where everything should have ended if I would have had my way." Kei said.

"What would you know?" Mars asked.

"I know, because I lived it and I remember it, fully."

"What?"

"I'm from it, of course."

* * *

"This all goes back to before you were even born, to your mother's reign as Queen, during the first Silver Millennium."

"My mother's?" Usagi asked.

"Yes. I believe there is very little you know of your mother's reign, correct?" Setsuna asked.

Usagi looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "I don't really remember much from the Silver Millennium."

"Well, you've always been meant to remember everything after your own ascension. Most of what I have to tell you, you wouldn't likely remember anyway because the events either took place before you were born or when you were very young." Setsuna explained and took a moment before continuing. "It would be best to explain some things before questions arise."

Usagi nodded and Setsuna continued, "Your mother ruled for several thousand years, but she never really ruled alone. Each planet had their own King and Queen and Moon governed over them. Serenity's right to rule wasn't questioned by any planet save for one, Earth. The Gods themselves granted her the right and her descendants the right to rule. There was chaos before her Silver Millennium started, there was near consent conflict between various planets as well as within the planets themselves. She brought peace to the solar system with the help of her senshi…"

"Her senshi?" Usagi interrupted

"Yes, the senshi that preceded your senshi. Bringing peace to the solar system was a large task; she certainly needed aid in the task. There were those that didn't wish for peace, but that isn't what we need to discuss. It's only important that you know the basics to understand why some things happened how they did." Setsuna said and waited to see if Usagi understood.

Usagi nodded in acceptance. She always knew there was a lot she didn't know about the past, but it felt strange that she didn't have any recollection of them. After a little more thought, it made sense. She knew in the future that her own daughter would have protectors separate from her own.

"Usagi?" Setsuna asked when she noticed Usagi with a thoughtful expression. "You shouldn't think too much of it. You didn't interact with them often, so it's natural that you wouldn't recall them. The most significant thing they did for you was train your senshi."

"My mother's senshi trained Rei and the others?"

Setsuna nodded, "Yes, but as I said before, that part is unimportant to what I have to tell you today. Knowing about them will not help with the problem at hand."

"I'm sorry; it's just that this is the first time you've ever talked to be about these things with me."

"You don't need to apologize, it's only nature for questions to come up, but if we can I'd like to keep that to a minimum." Setsuna said.

"Alright, you don't need to tell me anything that won't help us get Rei back." Usagi said and Setsuna nodded.

"Now, where was I…yes; once Serenity brought peace to the planets, she restored all of them to their original, beautiful states with the Ginzuishou. Serenity valued the opinions of the other planets and to prove as much, she set up a planetary council with representatives from every planet in this solar system, all except for one. The Earth refused any part in it, feeling that it just a way for Serenity to subjugate them completely by appeasing them with positions that were seemingly powerful, but were really nothing in the grand scheme of things."

"Why would they think that?"

"I believe it was out of fear. Mainly because those from Earth have never been as magically inclined as those from the other planets. Serenity did her best to quell their fears, but she wasn't very successful and as a result, relations between the Moon and Earth were never very good. Your mother still protected the Earth as best she could from potential invaders, but there was little she could do about wars that spread on the Earth itself. It was during a particular bad time that Serenity visited me at the Gates." Setsuna said, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"I believed she was coming for counsel on what to do about Earth, but I was surprised when that wasn't the case.", Setsuna noticed Usagi was about speak, so she quickly answered her question before she even ask it. "I do have limits Usagi and my knowledge isn't infinite. Besides, your mother requested that I not fully engross myself in the knowledge of the Gates because, 'There is some thing to be said for living life as it comes too. Living life with all the answers holds no meaning.' That is what she told me many many years ago." Usagi nodded so Setsuna continued, "She came to discuss a matter that came up at her most recent meeting with the planetary representatives. They wished for one of her senshi to investigate this matter. Serenity explained that her senshi were all occupied with other things, but they were very persistent and she eventually agreed to send someone."

"You?" Usagi asked.

"Yes. While I was resistant at first, Serenity convinced me, and I conceded." Setsuna said.

"What was it that my mother asked you to look into?"

"Don't worry; I'm getting to that Usagi." She answered with a small smile, but that faded quickly and a serious expression replaced it. "This is what's most crucial to our current enemy. Your mother asked me to do this mission because she believed in my judgment. You see, this wasn't any ordinary mission, it was to investigate the merit of a girl residing on the moon of my home planet, Pluto."

* * *

Mamoru's head shot up at the sound of a familiar car engine in the distance and approaching fast. He looked down the driveway, already he could see a yellow convertible turning the corner and into the driveway, 'I doubt either of them will be pleased when I tell them they can't go into their own house.' He thought to himself. He realized the car would be in front of the door in a few moments, so he stood up.

As Haruka neared the building, both she and Michiru could see someone standing at the entrance waiting for them. As they drew nearer, they could tell it was Mamoru, but neither Usagi nor Setsuna were anywhere to be seen. Haruka put the car in park and barely even shut the car off before exiting the vehicle. Michiru followed her seconds later. The aquamarine haired woman quickly made it to Haruka's, after seeing her approach the Prince on unsteady feet.

Mamoru watched the two woman and frowned, both looked like they ran into trouble of their own, Haruka seemed have gotten the worst of it though. Before either woman could say anything, Mamoru decided to speak, "What happened to the two of you?"

"That's not important. Where's Usagi? Is she alright?" Haruka asked.

"You look pretty beat up, maybe you should go to the…" Mamoru started to say.

"You're avoiding my question, where's Usagi? And Setsuna for that matter."

Mamoru lowered his head, "They're inside." He said and stepped in front of Haruka as she tried to pass him, "And they ask to not be interrupted. I promised them that I wouldn't let anyone, even the two of you interrupt."

"What's so important she has to keep us out of it as well?" Michiru wondered aloud.

"Whatever it is, it has to with our enemy, Usagi, and Rei." Mamoru said.

Michiru looked over at Haruka, "Could it have to with the woman Setsuna told us about?"

* * *

"What do mean?"

"It's exactly as I say, I was born and lived most of my life during the reign of the Moon Kingdom, what you would call, the Silver Millennium." Kei said seriously.

"You're lying." Mars said quickly.

"What reason do I have to lie? How do you think it is that you couldn't hide your presence from me? Are you so conceited as to believe that you, your senshi pals, the Prince, and the Princess are the only ones alive from that time?"

"Are you telling me you were reincarnated, like the rest of us?" Mars asked.

" _Reincarnated_?" Kei responded with an expression Mars couldn't quite figure out. Kei stood and took a few steps away from Mars before speaking again, "I had no need to any such thing. A reincarnation is only necessary for one who has died."

"Let me get this straight, you're telling me you are like me and my friends, except you never died?" Mars asked, not sounding entirely convinced.

She turned back to Mars upon hearing her question, "The simple answer is, yes. However, you seem unconvinced by my words alone. Perhaps, you are looking for a more complete explanation?"

"If you are planning on telling me the truth, I would love an explanation." Mars said.

"You still think I'm lying." Kei stated, rather than questioned. She took a deep breath, "Fine, since it's clear you remember nothing. Maybe my words of the past will get through that thick head of yours."

Mars was about to make one of her sarcastic comebacks when the woman in front of her spoke up. "I was born a great many years after Serenity's reign began, on a world a great distance from the moon, on the moon of Pluto, Nemesis."

"Nemesis?" Mars asked and looked at the darkly dressed woman with shock. 'I know that world, one of our previous enemies haled from there, could she be an enemy from them. No, she can't be. They were from the future and she claims to be from the past.'

"Indeed. I'm sure you're at least aware that the planets, its moons, and the stars surrounding them all contained life, at least most of them did." Kei said calmly. "Or perhaps, you're thinking of something else…?"

"That's none of your business."

"Then I can continue?" Kei asked and when Mars remained quiet, she took that opportunity to begin again. "I never really knew my parents. My mother died when I was young and from what I heard, my father abandoned me because I never saw him. I lived with grand parents, but even when I was very young, I knew I was different…special. I could do things that other kids couldn't. Even when I wasn't trying, I could hear things. When I showed the other kids, they all thought I was weird." Kei said her voice gaining an angry edge to it at the end. She walked away from Mars and looked out the lone window in the room, "I believe you know what that feels like."

Rei didn't say anything though, she only watched her captor. 'Is that what she meant? We've lead similar lives.' She still couldn't see her face, which only served to frustrate Mars more. This woman kidnapped her and has kept her from her friends and family, she was keeping her from Usagi. Moreover, she had yet to learn why all this was happening. "What's the point? Why are you telling me any of this?"

Kei turned and addressed Mars, "So you can understand."

"Understand what!" Mars yelled.

"How foolish you are." Kei said calmly and walked away from the window, back to where Mars was. She smiled at Mars as she glared at her, "Now to continue. As I said before I knew that I was different, but I didn't realize how different I was until I encountered a mysterious woman. It was a fateful meeting, one that changed my life…"

* * *

~Flashback~

'It's not my fault I can do this…I just can.' Kei thought as she ran. She soon found her vision was becoming blurry, so she hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve. No matter how many times she wiped her eyes, she found it impossible to clear her vision. Giving up, she closed her eyes and ran faster, 'I know how to get back home with my eyes closed anyway.' She thought only to come to a sudden, painful stop.

Kei opened her eyes as she fell back, on to the ground. "Ouch!" she exclaimed when she hit the ground. With her eyes opened once again, she noticed her vision was still blurry, but she could make out someone or something standing over her. She wiped her eyes for the umpteenth time, but this time she found she could see clearly afterwards.

"I'm sorry child, I didn't see you."

Kei's eyes focused in on the source of the voice and the reason she was currently sitting on the ground. She could feel her heart beat increase as she stared up at an unfamiliar woman with long dark hair that gave of a green tint to it as the light hit it.

"Here, let me help you up." The woman said, offering a hand.

Kei hesitated for a moment, but took the offered hand anyway. The moment she touched the older woman's hand, she felt something, something she'd never felt before. She didn't know if what she felt was good or bad.

The older woman released her hand, before helping her up and looked down at the young girl on the ground in shock, "You?"

Kei could tell her worst fears were realized by the way the woman reacted, but she couldn't help to ask, "What do you mean  _you_?"

"You, you're the one I've been looking for on this world." The woman explained.

"You can't be looking for me, I'm weird…I'm different." Kei said and looked away from the tall woman.

"I'm looking for you  _because_  you are different."

~End flashback~

* * *

"What do you mean by  _investigate_?" Usagi asked.

"To put it simply, this girl was showing talents she shouldn't have. You see, each system has a predetermined number of persons capable of being protectors, soldiers if you will, of the planets or stars or moons of that particular system. The council was aware of that and yet they concluded that she was solider, yet to awaken. I was sent to determine the validity of it all and should I determine that it was true, I was instructed by your mother to train her." Setsuna explained.

Usagi listened to Setsuna intently as she spoke. She wondered why she didn't have any knowledge of most of what Setsuna was telling her, but still she paid attention to everything Setsuna had say because she didn't know if Setsuna would ever tell her this again or if she would ever be this open about the past she, herself, didn't recall.

"Obviously my first task was to find the girl and I came across her far quicker then I thought I would. There was never a doubt in my mind once I found her that she was the one I was looking for. As I'm sure you realize, everyone has their own distinct aura about them and for anyone trained to sense them, it's simple enough to find those with unique auras. Even though finding her was simple, convincing her of my intentions took a little more time…"

* * *

~Flashback~

"So you're a Sailor Senshi? A guardian of the Queen?" Kei asked as she and the taller woman continued down the dirt path, towards her home. Her companion insisted on coming along.

"Correct." The woman said calmly.

Kei looked at her, as if inspecting her, "You don't look like a solider." She commented.

"Some times looks can be deceiving." She said casually.

Kei turned away from her for a moment and looked forward, "Alright, if you are a Sailor Senshi, what planet do you govern?"

"I am the avatar of Pluto, the planet this moon orbits, Sailor Pluto."

Kei was quiet for a few minutes before finally saying what she was thinking, "Prove it."

"Prove it?" The woman repeated.

Kei stopped and said, "Yes, if you really are a Sailor Senshi, you should have awesome powers, abilities that normal people don't have. Show me something to prove that you're really who you say you are, that you are Sailor Pluto."

"It appears you already have some preconceived notions about Sailor Senshi. While it's true, we do possess abilities that others do not, being powerful does not necessarily mean that person is a Sailor Senshi or even on the side of good. There are beings that reside in the darkness that also have amazing powers. Perhaps, I'll teach you how to tell the difference between the two."

"What do you mean?" Kei asked.

"Later. For now, just trust my words. I mean you no harm; I simply wish to speak with you and your guardians and perhaps spend some time here."

Kei studied her companion carefully, she still couldn't read her, but she also didn't feel anything bad from her either. "Alright, you can speak to my grandparents, but it's up to them whether you can stay or not."

"Fair enough." She agreed.

~End flashback~

* * *

"It didn't take very long to realize there was something unique about her and since your mother put it in my hands, I decided to go forth and begin her training." Setsuna said.

"What kind of training?" The blonde asked.

"The few destined to become protectors of this solar system required special training. They needed to train under of warriors before they can be given the title of Sailor Senshi." Setsuna explained.

Usagi looked confused, "You mean the girl you're talking about is…?"

"Because of my position, there would not another Sailor Pluto, my position is permanent. Even though I could not pass my title on to another, I could still train another. When her training completed she took on the title of Sailor Nemesis, the planet of chaos and vengeance."

* * *

"Do the two you know more about this then you've said?" Mamoru asked and looked at Michiru and Haruka.

"We don't know very much really, but the little we do know came from Setsuna." Michiru explained.

"But that means that the two of you did know something, and you withheld what you knew from Usako and the others. Telling them could have prevented…" Mamoru said, only to be interrupted by Haruka.

"It wouldn't have prevented anything! Setsuna warned us who we're dealing with and told us to keep a better eye on Usagi. Don't lecture us when you weren't even here up until a few days ago!" Haruka said and took a step towards the dark haired man.

"I have my reasons." Mamoru responded assertively.

"And you think your reasons are good enough for leaving Usagi like you did?"

"Ruka…" Michiru scolded quietly and put her hand on the blonde's shoulder. Haruka didn't say anything more, instead choosing to turn away from and walk back to her car. Michiru looked at Mamoru and smiled apologetically, before walking over to Haruka.

Mamoru looked at Michiru and Haruka as they talked, but his eyes soon wandered past them and to someone running up to the house. It didn't take long before the two women noticed the person as well. Soon enough the person was close enough to be identified and all three of them recognized her.

"Sailor Venus!"

* * *

"The woman I encountered had a powerful presence and she was different than any other person I'd met before. While, I could read anyone else I came across, I couldn't read her. The woman I refer to is no ordinary woman. I believe, no in fact I know you know her, she is Sailor Pluto, the guardian of time." Kei said.

"You're lying." Mars stated.

"I am not. She taught me how to use my power, to be a warrior of my home world. So I could be a Sailor Senshi and…" Kei and paused before angrily adding, "So I could be a slave to the Serenities."

"You're not a Sailor Senshi."

"Now, why do you think that? You think because I'm not a servant of the Serenities, I can't be a Sailor Senshi as well? You're greatly misguided if you believe you and the Senshi of this solar system are the only Sailor Senshi in existence. Or are you just upset that I'm not a slave anymore, while you remain one?" Kei asked.

"I am no slave!" Mars shouted.

"What would you call it? Our lives are bound to that of those of the Serenity bloodline; a bond so strong even death is not a release. All born with the blessings of their planet or star is a slave."

"It's not like that!" Mars yelled and in the blink of an eye, Kei crouched down beside Mars.

"Silence." Kei said and touched Mars' lips before she had a chance to react. "You should realize by now that what I say is true. If you die in their service you will be reborn again, only to do it all over again." Kei said and stood up. She stepped away from Mars before continuing to speak, "Such a life holds no meaning. Even all those years ago I knew this and it was then I tried to change things."

"Despite being trained by Pluto, I was not allowed to have contact with her for the most part, but I would sneak away and find her. She would tell me that I shouldn't disobey Queen Serenity, but she never told me to leave. In the years of my training I'd grown quite fond of her and one day I decided to take a chance and see if my feelings would be enough to break the bounds of destiny."

* * *

"A Sailor Senshi?"

"You should not refer to her by that honorable title. The woman I refer to now is not honorable, she is one who has committed crimes and is still committing crimes." Setsuna said seriously.

"Are you saying…?" Usagi started to ask when Setsuna nodded her head.

"The reason I keep stressing that this enemy is so different is because we aren't fighting a youma or something similar, we're against someone who once fought the forces of evil. Someone with existing knowledge of all of our abilities. Someone I know to be very dangerous and very skillful. She has knowledge of magic that you don't, magic I taught her and magic she devised on her own. Even I as her former teacher am no match for her." Setsuna said regretfully.

"You're sure?" Usagi asked.

"I'm positive." The older woman answered.

"Why are you so sure?" The Princess questioned.

"Not more then a few days ago, she paid me a visit. At that time, she showed me how helpless I was before again. I could tell she'd changed even from the last time I saw her all those years ago. She was even stronger, but not in a way that can be achieved by training, it was something else. One thing was clear; she was consumed by hatred and anger, more so than I could have ever imagined."

"Why did she show up now? Where has she been all these years?" Usagi asked.

"I'm not sure why she chose now, but it's possible that she wasn't capable until now." The dark haired woman theorized.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, a long time ago, when you were still very young, as punishment for her crimes, Queen Serenity sealed her away on her home, Nemesis."

"My mother…" Usagi whispered.

"At that time she had committed many crimes and since your mother didn't believe in execution of anyone human, she did the only other option she had." Setsuna explained.

"But from what you've told me, she wasn't always like this. She was a good person once. What happened?" Usagi asked.

"It all started very simply. She asked something of me, but it was something I couldn't agree to." Setsuna said, leaving it at that.

Usagi looked at Setsuna curiously. The older woman didn't wear her usual calm and unreadable expression. To Usagi's eyes, she looked sad, so Usagi couldn't help but ask the question that was on her mind, "What did she ask?"

"She asked…"

* * *

"I asked her to give up her title of Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time, and be with me." Kei said and was silent for a moment, for as long as she could hold her anger in check. "And she declined, telling me that she didn't feel the same about me. She went on about destiny and our duty to the Queen, but I know the truth now. She was so utterly tied down to fate that she  _couldn't_  give it up."

Mars watched the woman in front of her as the tone of her voice changed from her usual angry or calm tone, to something on the verge of insanity. Mars tried to tell her as much, but found moving her lips, let alone speech impossible. 'Did she ever consider that Setsuna honestly didn't feel the same?'

"I don't know why but Pluto avoided me after that and without even realizing it I was doing the same. It wasn't very long after that that Queen Serenity came to me with a scouting mission, outside our solar system..."

* * *

"Haruka, Michiru, and…Mamoru-san?" Venus called back. 'If Mamoru's here does that mean that Usagi is as well?' she thought as she quickened her pace to meet the trio. As she got close, she could see the remains of a battle on lawn. 'Something did happen here.' She thought to herself. She was shocked to see both Haruka and Michiru had sustained a number of injuries and by the looks of it; they had yet to get them treated.

"You can undo your transformation Venus, there are no youma here." Mamoru called over and turned away from the blonde. Minako nodded and undid her transformation.

"There were youma here? And where's Usagi?" Minako asked.

"Yes, there were. We weren't given all the details, but Usagi is inside with Setsuna." Michiru explained.

"What do you mean? You weren't given all the details? Didn't you three fight?" Minako asked and looked at Mamoru, Michiru, and Haruka.

"We, Michiru and myself, fought, but not here. We ran into some trouble after we left here." Haruka said.

"And you?" The blonde haired girl asked, directing her question at Mamoru.

"I was here, but I didn't really fight. Usagi fought alone because that was the youma's demands and the only way she thought she could get information on where Rei might be." He explained.

"Is Usagi alright and did he give any viable information?" She asked.

"She made it through with minor injuries but she's alright, but it wasn't easy. However, we weren't able to get much information because he died before that." Mamoru said dejectedly.

"Damn it." Minako cursed under her breath. "At least Usagi's…" Minako started to say, only to trail off.

"What is it?" Haruka asked.

"You two were attack, there was an attack here, and I was attacked…Ami and Makoto might be in trouble!" Minako said and spun around to head out in search of her two missing friends, only to collide with someone.

"Jeez, Minako! I'm standing right here."

Minako looked up and saw…,"Makoto! When you get here?"

"Only a few seconds ago, I was about to say something when you nearly knocked me over." Makoto said.

"What about Ami though?" The blonde question.

"I'm right here." The blue haired girl said and stepped out from behind Makoto.

Minako and the others let out a sigh of relief that everyone was accounted for. Minako noticed Ami's arm was bandaged and her suspicious were confirm, "Both you what were attack as well then?"

Both Ami and Makoto nodded, "Where's Usagi?" they asked together.

"Inside with Setsuna." Mamoru said and when on to explain everything all over again to the new arrivals.

* * *

"It was shortly after that, that she became distant. I had no reason to think it was anything out of the ordinary, because one would only think it natural to avoid the one who likely broke the other's heart. I didn't try to confront her or anything; I thought space between us would be best." Setsuna said.

Usagi nodded and waited for Setsuna to continue. "It wasn't too long after that, that strange occurrences started happening. A disturbance was reported just outside our system. In a system not too far from our own, stars started burn out…no not just burning out, stars were dying."

"Dying?" Usagi questioned.

Setsuna nodded her head slowly, "Yes. Stars and planets do have tendency to die over time, but this was unnatural. All the other Sailor Senshi were busy training their heirs, but the disturbance was too close to be ignored. Your mother had little choice, so she sent her out to investigate. We thought everything had gone well, but when she returned, but I could tell something had changed in her."

* * *

"I faithfully took up the mission given to me and in my time away from Serenity's influence, I became enlightened by someone. This person showed me how clouded my mind was and I was offered something I couldn't refuse. It was at that time that I made a decision, I decided to say fuck duty, fuck destiny, and I decided to make my own destiny. I chose that destiny to be one that destroyed the current one, one that would irradiate everything that hurt me, starting first with eliminating the Serenity bloodline that had enslaved Pluto."

Mars looked at the woman in front of her, 'She's insane…can unrequited love really drive someone to become like this?' she thought to herself.

"I failed at that time, but this time will be different because this time I'm not alone. Now simply ending Serenity's life is not enough, I don't _just_  want to eliminate that repulsive bloodline; I want her most loyal servant to do it with me. I want the fool that dared to challenge me all those years ago to be the one to end everything." Kei said and smiled at Mars' shocked reaction. "You understand then. You, Sailor Mars, solider of flame, you will be my yakubyougami, my angel of death."

'That does it! I've had enough of this, where the hell does she get off telling me to hurt Usagi! This damn spell can't be unbreakable.' Mars thought and concentrated on moving her lips. She found that if she tried hard enough she could move them a little, 'If she thinks I'll just sit back and listen to this anymore, she wrong!' Suddenly the signal of Mars flared on her head and Mars screamed, "Where in that sick twisted mind of yours did you ever come to the conclusion that I could ever harm Usagi, let alone kill her?"

"How did you…?" Kei asked, taking step back from Mars.

"I protect her because I want to, because I love her! It's never been about duty!" Mars declared.

"You're a fool! You protect her because of destiny! You protect her because your soul is bound to hers in that way!" Kei yelled back.

"You're wrong. We may have been brought together because of our souls being bound, but I protect her with my life because I love her with all my heart!" Mars said, surprised even herself with her open declaration.

"Don't you understand? She can never love you like Pluto couldn't me." Kei said.

"I don't pretend to know what happened between you and Pluto and you shouldn't pretend to know anything about Usagi and I. You say you loved Pluto, but don't you see that's where we're different my love for Usagi is eternal."

"You know nothing!" Kei said angrily.

"You're right, I don't know anything about you and I can't answer for what Pluto may have said or done, but my love for Usagi is real. Even if all she'll ever see me as is a friend, I won't protect her any less fiercely because my love for her will never dwindle!" Mars said passionately, leaving Nemesis at a loss for words. "You and I are nothing alike and if you can't see that then you have learned nothing in your many years of life."

Kei looked furious. She balled up her fist and walked over to Mars. She punched her as hard as she could before Mars even had a chance to react, "You dare to preach to me! You, who holds on to an impossible love, spare me your pathetic ideals! I've been around far longer than you and seen far more than you can imagine, so you need to realize that you can only hold on to those ideals for so long." She said angrily. She turned around and made her way to the chambers' only door, "I would think about my proposition if you know what's good for you. Rest assured, I will have what I want, one way or another. You have one day and if you don't give me the answer I'm looking for, I'll resort using more extreme methods to get what I want!" Kei said before slamming the door, making a loud echoing boom through out the small room.

Mars pulled herself to her feet and brought her left hand to her left cheek, "Must have hit a nerve." Mars muttered as she wiped away a small amount of blood from the corner of her lips and started to rub her cheek. "Damn, she hits hard." Mars complained.

Mars stopped rubbing her cheek and looked at her wrist. Two golden chains were attached to her wrist, one on each, and from her wrists, the chains connected to the wall. Mars pulled her right arm, with all her strength yet it had no effect, "I need to get out of here. Usagi is in danger if I stay here."

* * *

"She was a different person. She tried to do something awful, something I'll never forgive her for." Setsuna said.

"What did she do?" Usagi asked.

"She tried to kill…" Setsuna opened her mouth to finish the sentence, but she stopped and closed it. "She tried to kill someone, but she was thwarted, primarily by one individual."

"Who?" Usagi asked.

Setsuna sighed, "I can't tell you that. I can't tell you who either of the persons were. All you need to know is that this woman is dangerous and she can't be allowed to continue her wicked ways."

"But Setsuna, she's a Sailor Senshi like us…"

"She isn't! That part of her, that noble and honorable side, died a long time ago. Do not refer to her as a Sailor Senshi. If you wish to call her something, call her Kei, that's her given name." Setsuna said seriously. "Listen to me Usagi, what she was isn't important. What you need to know right now is that she'll do everything in her power to cause you pain. The reality right now is that she has Rei and we don't know what she's going to do, but I can promise you that where we stand, the future doesn't look very bright."

"What is she planning to do with Rei, Setsuna?" Usagi asked seriously.

Setsuna looked at Usagi for a moment before turning away from her, 'I can't tell her.'

"Please tell me, Setsuna." Usagi pleaded.

Setsuna opened her mouth and then shut it, "You have to understand something, telling you about the past is one thing, but…" she said and pause for a moment, "The future is a whole other thing. Remember before we started talking, I said there will be limits to what I can tell you?" Usagi nodded slowly. "I can't tell what the future might hold. Even if I were to tell you the possibilities, there's no way to know exactly what will happen. While some events have a higher probability then others, there is always a certain amount of guessing involved, even on my part. One thing I can say is, the sooner we get Rei back, the better. The sooner the gates will become stable again."

"What's wrong with the gates?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"Kei's interference has caused some instability in the Gates of Time, particularly the primary gate to the future. I know this even without visiting them directly. Her presence and all that she's done thus far and she may have done permanent damage already."

"How?" Usagi asked.

"She wishes to change the future."

"Change the future?" Usagi repeated.

Setsuna nodded gravely, "Yes, and in order to change the future she wants you dead. However, she told me from her own lips that before that, she wants you suffer. I believe that is at least part of her reason for taking Rei, to cause you pain by taking away one of your guards as well as one of your friends."

"It's my fault Rei was kidnapped." Usagi said, more as a statement then a question.

"Don't think that! None of this is in anyway your fault." Setsuna said seriously and Usagi nodded slowly. "Now I'm afraid there's nothing more I can tell you, Usagi. I know I told you before we began you are free to tell the others anything you wish, but I ask that you not tell anyone of the instability of the Gates…"

"I won't." she promised and stood up. The blonde haired girl could sense that Setsuna wanted some time to herself and frankly, she felt the same way.

Setsuna remained seated as Usagi made her way to the door. She heard the doorknob being turned and was about to say something, but she remained silent as Usagi exited. There was a soft clicking sound, letting Setsuna know she was alone. She took that moment to mutter the words she was going to tell Usagi before she left, "I'm sorry."

End Ch. 23

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a ton of explaining done in this chapter. Kei's background has mostly been explained here, but are still a few things that are only hinted at that will be revealed a little later.


	24. Revenge

Chapter 24 – Revenge

* * *

Once she shut the door, Usagi stopped and leaned against it. 'I got Rei so involved in this. Despite what Setsuna said, how is it  _not_  my fault? If this woman, this former senshi wanted me, she didn't have to go after Rei.' She thought and pushed herself away from the door. Usagi began her slow departure, the same way she arrived, the way Setsuna lead her inside. Usagi knew Setsuna was holding back something, she told her as much. Despite knowing that Setsuna wouldn't tell her  _everything_  going into their talk, she couldn't help but feel that what the guardian of time left out was something important, something that could give her a better understanding of why she chose to take Rei. 'I'm sure Setsuna knows more about why it was Rei because she made it seem as though it could have been any of them, but I'm sure she didn't choose randomly.' Usagi thought as she made her way down the stairs. After only a few moments, Usagi found herself in front of the house's main door. Usagi reached for the doorknob, when she heard voices from the outside.

"And that's everything."

She heard Mamoru say, 'He must have just explained what happened to someone.'

"And she's inside with Setsuna right now?"

"Yes." Mamoru replied simply.

Usagi dropped her hand at her side and walked the short distance to a window, not too far from the door. One glance and her suspicions were confirmed, all of her friends were just outside the door. She sighed as she looked over her friends. All of them seemed to have seen a battle or two themselves; only Minako and Makoto looked as though they walked away unharmed for the most part.

Usagi sighed again as she thought about how she'd likely be bombarded by questions as soon as she stepped outside; questions she didn't really want talk about at the moment. It was a lot to take in everything Setsuna told her. Yet, despite everything she learned, she was no closer to finding Rei then she was before speaking with Setsuna. 'I can't very well stand here forever though.' she thought and looked at the door again. 'I can't lie to them, and they have a right to know what I know as well. It's only fair. Afterwards, I'll have some time to think. I hope that I'll remember something that could be helpful. I'm sure if I could just remember what happened in the past it would help now.' She thought and walked back to the door.

* * *

"And that's everything." Mamoru said, silently glad he didn't have to explain what happened a third time.

Ami was the first to speak up after she, Makoto, and Minako took in everything Mamoru explained, "And she's inside with Setsuna right now?"

"Yes." Mamoru looked at the three newly arrived girls and waited to see if they had anything else to say. Meeting only silence, he added, "For the time being, the only thing we can do is wait for her, I'm sure Usako won't be much longer." He said and glanced over to the outer's house. He was surprised to see the door start to open as he looked at it. He didn't say anything and instead he just waited until she full emerged from the building.

"Usagi-chan!"

"Hi Ami-chan." Usagi addressed the girl who called her name. She looked over everyone else and added with a slight bow, "Minna. What are all of you doing here?"

"You didn't show up for school and we got worried what with…what happened to Rei." Makoto explained.

Everyone was silent, remembering what happened the previous night. After about a minute Usagi finally spoke up, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry all of you. I just needed to find some things out from Setsuna."

"So, how did that go?" Minako asked anxiously. Usagi took a deep breath and proceeded to give an abbreviated version of what Setsuna told her.

"That's not possible! If there was another solider we would know and if what Setsuna told you is true, we should know." Haruka said.

Everyone looked at Haruka curiously, but Ami was the only to voice the question all of them were thinking. "Why is that?"

"Our memories of our lives in the Silver Millennium have always been clear to us since we awoke in this time, or at least we thought they were." Michiru explained and looked over to her lover, who seemed to be thinking everything over.

"But this is a step in the right direction, right? I mean now we know who has her." Makoto said.

"And that's all we know. We're no closer to finding Rei then we were last night." Minako said

"At least it's a start. Now maybe we can do some research in how to find this person, right Usagi?" Makoto asked and turned to Usagi.

"I'm sorry guys, but I'd really like to head home." Usagi said.

Everyone looked at Usagi surprised. They would have thought she would have been the first to want to do some investigating to help find Rei. "Is something wrong, Usagi?" Ami asked.

Usagi held up her hands defensively and smiled, "No, no. I'm just…tired."

Before anyone could ask anything else, Mamoru spoke up, "I understand. I'll take you home."

The blonde princess looked at Mamoru and smiled, "Thank you, Mamo-chan." She said and walked over to him.

As the couple started to walk away, Minako hurried after them and once she was out of earshot of everyone else she called, "Usagi?"

Both Usagi and Mamoru stopped and turned around to see Minako. Mamoru looked at Usagi and said, "I'll go start the car." and Usagi nodded.

"What is it Minako?" Usagi asked.

"What's really on your mind? I know you're not just tired." Minako said.

Usagi sighed and looked to the ground, "I want to think about a couple things and I want to ask Luna some things."

"About the Silver Millennium?" Minako asked, knowingly.

Usagi looked up to her friend and answered, "Yes."

"You know, I do remember some…things."

"Do you remember anything from when we were kids?" Usagi asked quickly.

Minako frowned, but tried to think of anything anyway, "Not so much."

Usagi's face fell and she couldn't hide her disappoint as she said, "Oh…"

Minako walked over to Usagi and put her hand on her shoulder, "Hey, if you think remembering our childhood in the Silver Millennium, I'll try to remember more, heck I'll even tell Ami and Makoto to do the same. Believe me; I want Rei back as much as you do. She's only been gone a day and it feels so wrong that she's not here with us. She's…she's important to all of us. She…" Minako stopped when she realized Usagi was hugging her.

"It's okay." Usagi said comfortingly.

Minako shook her head, "I'm supposed to be the one telling you that."

Usagi pulled away from her friend, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, "Why don't we tell each other that?" Minako stared at Usagi for a moment before nodding and hugging Usagi this time. The two girls stayed like that for a couple more minutes before Usagi spoke again, "I should get going, Mamo-chan is waiting."

Minako nodded again and released Usagi. She watched as Usagi walked away thinking, 'She has got to have the biggest heart of anyone in this world.' Minako turned away from Usagi as she reached the car and headed back to her other friends.

* * *

Kei stepped outside the room and came face to face with Ryuji. She cooled her anger and looked at the youma curiously, "How did everything go?" she asked casually.

"Everything went as you expected. We are rid of Kenjiro and it appears all the Sailor Senshi were able to escape from their respective fights alive." Ryuji replied

"All of them?" She questioned.

"Yes. None of the youma we sent out have returned. I'm sure you're already aware of this though…" Ryuji said.

"I didn't believe such a weak assault would be enough to finish them." Kei said casually. "They are strong, stronger than I remembered them in the past, but I know where their true strength lies. Once they see what I'm capable of, their strength will fail and they will be easy prey."

"All expect for Pluto?"

"Not true." Kei said and received a curious look from Ryuji. "I have not decided on the fate of the other planets. Mars and the Princess' fates are sealed however. If the planets can accept the fates I lay out for them they may yet be spared, but if they dare to challenge me, I will crush them."

"You know the likelihood them joining you willingly…"

"Yes, but if I were to kill all them, Pluto would not likely forgive me. However, if they stand in my way I won't hesitate to kill them, be it the Prince or a Sailor Senshi." Kei said calmly.

Ryuji couldn't help but ask, "What exactly are your plans for him?"

Kei merely smiled and ignored the youma's question, "Ryuji, I have a new task for you, one that I'm sure you will be most pleased to do."

"What do you wish of me?" Ryuji asked and bowed his head.

Kei smiled dropped as she spoke, "I'm afraid Mars is a little more resistant than I would like. Simple threats and intimidation techniques are less than effective in her case. There's also the fact that her feelings for Serenity are stronger in this time."

"Why use her then, we could easily obtain a back up subject? One more susceptible to manipulation…" Ryuji asked.

"I've already thought about it, but that's only as a last resort. It must be Mars. Only then can my revenge truly be complete." Kei said.

"What did they do to you?" Ryuji found himself asking, though he knew better.

Kei glared at Ryuji and said, "That isn't important to you. You merely have to carry out the orders given to you."

"Yes, I understand." Ryuji said quietly and added louder, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to show Mars how lucky she's had it. Show her what happens to those who anger me." Kei said her anger from earlier returning.

"And I can do what ever I please with her?"

"Outside of killing her or permanently injuring her, yes do as you please. I want a useful warrior after all." Kei said and started to walk away, when she added, "When you're done, I want to speak with you about our next course of action and bring Ichiro with you."

Ryuji nodded and turned to the only door in the vicinity and smiled.

* * *

Mars inspected the room again, for what felt like the millionth time, in search for some way out of there. Everything always came back to the restraints around her wrists, if she couldn't do anything about them; she wasn't going to get anywhere. Mars got down on her knees and concentrated, 'She said these restraints seal my powers, but it's impossible for them to completely seal them.' Mars surmised, or hoped rather.

Mars took a deep breath and set forth to do the only thing she could think of to free herself, call upon her senshi powers. Slowly Mars entered a meditative state, similar to when she did fire readings, since her concentration was highest at those times. The first thing she tried to do was the simplest thing to do normally, raise her ki. She whispered, "Mars Crystal Power." and focused herself, but she didn't feel any difference. Her power was there, but it was blocked somehow.

'This is tougher then I thought it was going to be.' She thought, but continued to concentrate. Everything always came so naturally, she never had to force anything. Even the first time she used her powers as Sailor Mars, it didn't take any thought, she just did as her instincts told her. She was never in a position where she couldn't readily access her powers, and being in that position now was quite honestly…frustrating. Mars wouldn't let that frustrated part of her interfere with her concentration, but just as it felt like she was a bit of progress, she heard the door open causing her to lose her concentration.

Mars glared at the intruder, expecting it to be the woman that left a short time ago, but was surprised to see it wasn't. It was the youma that brought her here in the first place. 'What would he be doing here? He's not the brains behind this; he seems more like the muscle.'

"It seems you're not feigning sleep this time."

"What do you want? I've already made myself clear to your leader." Mars said.

"My mistress is stubborn though and when she wants something, she has a tendency to get it one way or another. You must understand something, my mistress isn't one who likes to get her hands dirty, she leaves that to me. She understands that words are not enough convince you of what the right action is to take. So I'm here to persuade you in my own way." Ryuji said and cracked his knuckles.

"I'm not afraid of you and it doesn't matter what you do, I will never lay one false hand against Usagi." Mars vowed.

"You talk big now, but pain has a way of making one consider their allegiances." Ryuji said and stepped toward the raven-haired girl.

"You would attack me when I have no means to defend myself?" Mars questioned.

"When did you ever come to the conclusion that I was honorable?" He said and raised his hand, summoning his halberd.

"Do you intent to kill me then?"

"No, the pole end will do just fine." He said and swung the weapon down at Mars. She quickly reacted and blocked the weapon with her left forearm, preventing it from striking her head. She tried to hold back a wince as the pole connected with her arm, but she wasn't very successful. "See, you're not as defenseless as you claim to be. It does appear as though those chains have drained you much of your strength. That should make this quick…"

* * *

Usagi sat quietly in the passenger sit and looked out the window as the car zoomed down the street. Mamoru asked if it was all right for him to turn the radio on, she nodded in response. The car had been silent pretty much since they got in the car, except at the beginning Mamoru asked if she was all right. She said yes, but to Mamoru, didn't sound like she was, but he waited for Usagi talk to him instead of pressing her to talk and since then the car had been silent.

A few times Mamoru thought about striking up a conversation with her, but he thought better of it each time. Then after only a short while, Mamoru found himself parking in front of the Tsukino residence. They both sat in the car, but neither said anything. Finally, Mamoru made up his mind and decided to take his question to Usagi. Just as Mamoru was about to speak, Usagi spoke up instead, "Do you think I'm strong enough to get Rei back?"

"Huh?" Mamoru responded unintelligibly, not expecting Usagi to be the one to speak.

"I mean, our enemy is another Sailor Senshi. All Sailor Senshi have the same goal, right?"

"You've fought every evil that has threatened this planet and even though it was never easy, you never gave up and you always won. You're the strongest person I know and I believe there's nothing you can't do. Even if our enemy this time might be another Sailor Senshi, I'm sure we can still win."

"How can you be so confident?" Usagi asked.

"Because I believe in you." Mamoru replied and smiled. He hoped some of his words would give Usagi the confidence she needed for what lie ahead. Something told him, much of this burden would rest on Usagi's shoulders.

He found himself a little surprised when Usagi reached over and hugged him; "Thank you." was all she said before kissing him on the cheek and exiting the car.

Mamoru waited until Usagi was inside before pulling away, 'It seems that did help her a little.' He thought as he sped away from the Tsukino residence.

* * *

Mars knelt in front of Ryuji as he smirked at her. He crouched down, grabbed her neck with one hand, and pulled her up with him. Mars punched at his arm, but he didn't let go. Instead, raised her even higher, until her feet were no longer touching the ground. "You're weak. I would very much like to snap this neck of yours…" Ryuji said and tightened his hold.

Mars gasped more frantically for air. This wasn't good, she knew the chains around her wrists had weakened her, but this was impossible. 'I'm no match for him…' she thought and shut her eyes. When she closed her eyes, she saw a reason not to give up, a reason to keep fighting, she saw Usagi. 'No. I can't die here. I can't!' Mars focused all of her energy on trying to call upon her powers. 'I'm going to die if I don't do anything now.' she thought and opened her eyes and stared at the youma holding her. For a moment, her tiara disappeared and the symbol of Mars blazed on her forehead, 'Now!' Mars pointed her hands at the youma's stomach and released all the energy she could gather.

"Impossible!" Ryuji shouted as he was thrown backwards into the far wall, releasing Mars in the process. Once he let go of her, Mars dropped limply to the ground. Ryuji grunted as he made contact with the wall. The stone cracked under the force and Ryuji rested against the wall to recollect himself, "You're going to pay for that you Sailor bitch!"

Ryuji pushed away from the wall and charged the Sailor Senshi. When he reached her, he saw her laying motionless on the ground, "It appears you wasted the last of you energy on that attack. You won't be waking up for some time." He said as he looked down at Mars. Ryuji turned away from her and said, "It's pointless to continue this now. Maybe when you wake up, I'll see you again."

* * *

"What do you think Ruka?" Michiru asked as she locked the door.

"For Setsuna to tell bunny all that, she must really be worried. She kept us in the dark on exactly who we're dealing with. Yet, she knows this woman we're dealing with intimately."

"I wouldn't say that…" Michiru countered.

"Okay, at one time she did. One thing that's clear is that Setsuna owns us an explanation!" Haruka exclaimed, balling her fist angrily.

Michiru walked over to Haruka and covered her fist with her hand, "You and I both know Setsuna well enough to know she always has a reason for what she does and I'm sure this is no different." Michiru could feel the tenseness leave her blonde companion's hand. She smiled when Haruka intertwine her fingers with her own, "What do you say we clean those cuts and get you out of those dirty clothes."

Haruka smiled as she asked, "How can I say no to that offer?" Michiru didn't say anything, instead she lead her companion up the stairs.

* * *

'She must have told the others by now.' Setsuna thought as she relaxed into her chair and closed her eyes, 'Should I have told her everything?' She thought about it for a moment, 'I hope I stressed enough how dangerous of a person we're dealing with. Perhaps it would have done her good to tell her, so she's truly understands that she can't take Kei lightly…'

"What are you planning to do, Kei?" Pluto asked as she stepped out of the darkness.

The woman stopped at the small bed and looked down, "Such a small child…how much blood do you think a little body like that holds?" She said and reached behind her back. She pulled out a metallic object and held it over the sleeping girl.

"What are you doing? Step away from her right now. She is but a child; you would harm something so innocent?" Pluto said, almost in a state of shock.

"Just watch me." Kei said and lowered the blade.

When Pluto saw that, she reacted faster than she'd ever in her life. Not more than a few moments since she started to bring down the blade, Pluto was beside her and caught the blade in her hand. Pluto winced a little as the blade pierced her skin, but she maintained her focus on Kei.

"Why? I know you don't like this life you were forced into!" Kei asked angrily.

"How I came be a Sailor Senshi is of no consequence, I have a duty and I will not allow you to harm the Princess." Pluto said and gripped the blade tighter, causing blood to flow more profusely.

"Why do you protect her? She binds you to your fate and if she dies, there won't be another."

"Why would  _you_  do this?" Pluto asked.

"Why? I'm doing this for you…and…"

"And…?" Pluto said, urging her to continue.

"To show you that some destinies can be shattered, that you aren't bound forever to a life of servitude."

"You came to this on your own. I do not wish for you to do any such thing. My life is my own and I do not need  _you_  to decide what  _I_  want. I willingly gave up my freedom to Serenity so she could bring peace to this solar system." Pluto said honestly.

Kei didn't know how to respond, so she just remained silent. Pluto hoped she was getting through to the other woman when she felt her lose some of her tenseness. "You're such a fool!" she said and doubled her efforts to get the child.

"I won't let you harm her!" Pluto declared.

'I should have been able to end it there, instead I was careless and only ended up involving…' Pluto thought and shook her head. 'This must have happened for a reason, but why didn't I see it coming? If I didn't see this coming does that mean this shouldn't have happened, that someone stepped in to make this happen?'

Setsuna got up from her chair, walked over to her desk, and opened the top drawer. 'Who or what could have the power to disrupt things so much?' she thought and pulled out a notebook from the desk. She opened it, took out a pen, and began writing her thoughts in it. After a couple lines of writing she stopped, a thought struck her. 'It's not possible, that's only a legend.' She thought and shook her head before continuing to write.

* * *

Minako, Ami, and Makoto walked together away from the outers' house. Everyone was surprised when Minako returned from speaking with Usagi, and suggested they call it a day. It was already starting to get dark and even though the three girls wished to do some research on their new information, it would be better if they had a full night's rest before hand because although none of the girls would admit it, they were tired from the day's events.

Minako had been quiet since they left the outers' house. There were a few times Ami and Makoto would strike up a conversation about nothing important and would unsuccessfully try to get Minako to join in the conversation. The most Minako usually added to the discussion yes or no. Both Ami and Makoto frowned, it seemed Minako really wasn't in the mood to talk and since that was the case, they at least wanted to know why she was in that mood. Ami and Makoto looked at each other and silently agreed to find out what was on her mind.

Ami, believing she had a good idea about where to started, "Minako?"

"Yes?" Minako responded.

"What did you talk to Usagi about?" Ami asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, you haven't said much since then, so we were wondering if you wanted to talk about it or anything." Ami explained.

"Yeah, it's not like you to be so quiet." Makoto added.

"It's nothing to worry about, I'm just thinking." Minako said.

"It doesn't seem like nothing. You wouldn't be spacing out like you have been if it was nothing." Makoto said.

Minako stopped walking and looked at Makoto and Ami, "All right. I realized something when I spoke to Usagi."

"What?" Ami asked curiously.

"I think she's putting too much on her shoulders alone, when she doesn't have to." Minako said.

"What do you want us to do, Minako?" The tallest of the trio asked.

"We're here to lend her our strength and to protect her, but I want us to do something else to help her. I want us to remember."

"Remember?" Ami and Makoto said together.

Minako nodded to them, "I've been trying to think of a way for us to regain our forgotten memories from our previous lives. Usagi thinks it will help, so I want all of us to concentrate on a way to recover our memories of the Silver Millennium."

* * *

Kei looked to the door after she heard a knock; "Come in." she called.

The door cracked open and Ryuji stepped out from the other side of the large doors. Ryuji walked into the room and knelt down in front Kei in the center of the room, "I've finished with Mars and am here with Ichiro as you've asked. He's outside."

"Good. I trust you weren't too rough with her."

"Of course not." Ryuji said and bowed his head. He raised his head and spoke, "I do have a concern, though."

"Let's discuss that after I speak with Ichiro. Bring him in."

Ryuji bowed his head again and said, "As you wish." He turned around and went back to the doors. He stepped outside for a second before returning with Ichiro at his side. "Ichiro is here at your request."

"Thank you, Ryuji." Kei said and turned her attention to Ichiro. "I hear you returned for your encounter with the Sailor Senshi without a mark. Tell me, what was your impression of the Sailor Senshi you fought? Uranus and Neptune, I believe?" Kei asked.

"They're weak. If I had five more, nay two more minutes with them, I would have killed them."

"You realize the two you fought are two of the strongest among them?" Kei said.

"If they are the best they can offer, they're as good as dead the next time I meet them."

Kei smiled, "That's a good attitude to have. If all goes well with our guest, I may have a new task for you very soon."

Ichiro cocked his head to the side and asked, "Guest?"

"Yes, someone I've had my eyes on for a long time. I don't believe you've met this person, but your brothers did. In fact, most of them died by her hands." Kei said and watched the youma's reaction. She was pleased to note he was unaffected by what she said.

"Is such a person trustworthy?" He asked.

"Not yet, but she has yet to break. When she does, she will be a most useful tool." Kei said with a smile. She waited to see if Ichiro had any thing more to say before going on, "That'd be all, Ichiro. When I have need of your services again, you'll be called for. Until that time, remain in your quarters."

Ichiro nodded, but didn't say anything. He simply turned around and walked to the room's double doors. Kei turned to Ryuji after Ichiro left and whispered, "I don't know about that one. He seems almost too detached."

"Would you rather he be like his brothers?" Ryuji asked.

Kei smiled slightly at the thought, "No, I suppose when you put it that way, he's just fine how he is. Enough about him for now, you said you had a concern you wished to address?"

"Yes, I must again express my opinion on using Mars." Ryuji said.

"You already know my stance on this matter and my opinion will not change, Ryuji." She said quickly.

"Please, allow me to speak. I do not believe even you can control her. She has a strong will."

"Strong will or not, she will bend to mine. I have a technique that will ensure that is the case. With what I want so close, I don't care how far I must go to get what I want." Kei said rose from her seat and started walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Ryuji asked trying to catch up with her.

Kei stopped and looked at Ryuji, "I grow tired of waiting. I don't care if it's been twenty four hours yet or not, she will give me the answer I want or suffer the consequences." She said and pushed open the double doors and walked out of the room leaving Ryuji there.

* * *

Luna leapt on to Usagi's bed and laid down at Usagi's feet assuming her charge was already sound asleep. She was proven wrong when the blonde haired girl spoke, "Is that you Luna?"

"You're still awake?"

"Yeah, I was waiting up for you." Usagi explained

"What is it Usagi?"

"Luna, is there a way for me recover all of my memories from the Silver Millennium?"

"What?" Luna asked.

"Is it possible for me to recover all of my memories from the Silver Millennium? Right now, I don't remember much, but Haruka and Michiru say that they can remember. So I was wondering, if they have their memories, can I remember mine as well?" Usagi asked again.

"Why all of a sudden?" Luna asked.

"I think it will help us find Rei, and I don't know why, but it feels like Rei needs someone right now." Usagi explained.

Luna frowned a little and said, "I understand that you're worried but its late Usagi and you need to rest. You can't do anyone any good if you don't get a proper rest. We can talk more in the morning, all right?" Luna saw Usagi nod slowly and lay on to her pillow. She knew Usagi didn't sleep well the night before and tonight wasn't off to a much better start. She hoped Usagi could put everything out of her mind for at least as short time to allow her to get a good night's sleep.

* * *

Mars pushed herself into a sitting position a groaned, she felt incredibly tired and sore. 'I don't know how much more of this I can withstand. I need to find a way to get out of here.' She thought and sighed audibly. 'Even if I free myself, I don't know if I could fight my way out of here, though. The longer I have these chains on, the weaker I feel.' Mars thought and tried to stand, but found couldn't muster up the strength at the moment. 'And getting beaten up like that didn't help matters either.'

Mars decided to remain seated, when she heard foot seats growing closer. 'Great, I'm not ready for another fight.' She thought and looked at the door. As she looked at the door, she noticed the wall next to it had a number of substantial creaks in it that she didn't notice before. 'How did…?' she thought and remembered the moments before she passed out. 'Maybe I can get out of here if I concentrate enough.' She thought when the door opened.

"Have you given thought to my proposal?" Kei asked as she entered the chamber that Mars was being held in.

She wasn't expecting her, but she didn't let her surprise last long. "Go to Hell! I would never do what you want!" Mars said disgustedly.

 _sigh_  "You know, I had hoped you would make this easy on yourself. You don't seem to understand the lengths I'm prepared to go." Kei said seriously. "You know...I'm very much aware of where you live and who you live with. Would you reconsider your current attitude if I were to…say…send some of my youma to burn down that shrine and kill its inhabitants, that old man and that younger man? Hey, while I'm at it, I could have my youma head to that school of yours once they're done at your home. It's only a short distance away and I'm sure you have friends there as well…" Kei said and smiled evilly at Mars.

"None of them have anything to do with this!" Mars shouted angrily.

"Don't think for a second I won't do that if it will get me what I want." Kei said threatening.

"I'll kill you first." Mars threatened.

"You shouldn't think so highly of yourself! I may not wish to yet, but if you force me to, I will eradicate you from this rural planet. Do you really think your life is that significant in the grand scheme of things? If you continue to be so resistant, I will take extreme measures to get what I want. I will kill as many as it takes for you to come around to my way of thinking. If I must, I'll even bring one or two of your fellow senshi so you can watch, as they're tortured to death. You know how easy it was for me bring you here. Do really think it would be any more difficult to bring others?"

"I'll kill you!" Mars threatened and rose to her feet.

'She shouldn't be able to move.' "Stop!" Kei yelled and held her hand out in front of herself, this seemed to slow Mars down, but she continued towards her. "I said, STOP!" She repeated, louder than before.

An invisible blast of energy left her hands and hit Mars in the chest, sending her back into the stonewall and pined her there. Mars continued to struggle, but she could do little to break whatever spell she had on her.

"Is pain the only way I can communicate with you?" Kei asked and approached Mars. As she approached her, Mars seemed to be pushed harder into the wall by some unseen force, even the stones behind her started cracking under the force. "I didn't want it to come to this. I wanted you to accept this willingly, but now you've left me with no choice!" she said and came closer to Mars and brought her hand up to her forehead.

'I can barely breathe.' Mars thought as her breath came out in short gasps. Mars saw her coming closer and tried to move, but she couldn't do anything, 'What the hell is she doing?' She shut her eyes tightly as she felt the other woman's cold hand against her forehead.

Kei started muttering some incantation and finished by saying, "Boushitsu."

Mars kept her eye shut tightly as she chanted and once she finished the chant, something didn't feel right, 'What's happening to me?' Somehow Mars without much thought she realized what was happening, 'No! I won't give up!'

"Struggling is useless; it will only make it worse for you in the end. No matter how strong a will you might have, you can't stop what I've set in motion."

Tears started slowly escaping Mars' closed eyes and she forced herself to look up, 'I'm sorry Usagi. I'm not strong enough. Please forgive me.' Mars forced her eyes open and let her tears fell unbridled down her cheeks and she screamed, "Usagi!" before closing her eyes again and finally being allowed to fall lifelessly to the ground.

"That was more difficult than I expected it to be. She does have a very strong will." Kei said as she eyed the motionless senshi of fire.

* * *

Usagi was finally sleeping peacefully when suddenly her eyes shot open, something felt…wrong…very wrong. She didn't know what, but something was not right. Her thoughts immediately traveled to her only friend who was currently out of her reach, Rei. Suddenly she could have sworn she heard Rei's voice, 'I'm sorry Usagi…I'm not strong enough…please forgive me.'

"Rei?" Usagi said and sat up quickly.

"What is it Usagi?" Luna asked, having heard the girl wake.

Usagi looked over to the black cat with fear in her eyes, "Something wrong, Rei is real trouble."

"What?" Luna exclaimed.

"I can feel it, she's in real trouble Luna!" Usagi said and pulled the blankets off and stood up. Usagi hurriedly grabbed her transformation compact and prepared to use it when Luna spoke again.

"Usagi, what are you planning on doing? You don't even know where she is!" Luna pleaded with her.

"I can find her! She called to me for help! I have to help her!" Usagi exclaimed.

"You're not making any sense, Usagi. What do you mean she called for you?" Luna asked. 'Maybe she had a nightmare? She so frightened though…' Luna thought.

"I have to go Luna." Usagi said.

"Moon Crisis, Make…"

'Usagi!'

Usagi stopped just short of completing her henshin phrase, let her henshin compact fall from her hands, and fell to her knees, "I-I can't feel her anymore. Luna, I can't feel her anymore!"

End Ch. 24

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we finally get to the point I've been working towards, since this story began. By far one of favorite scenes to write was the final scene in this chapter, a lot of emotion.


	25. Lies and Deception, the Enemy is…

Chapter 25 – Lies and Deception, the Enemy is…

* * *

Kei stared down the now untransformed girl, her transformation faded a few moments after she fell to the ground. "You could have made this easier on yourself. She's not worth your devotion and thankfully now that won't be a problem."

Ryuji stepped out from behind Kei and looked at Mars lying on the ground. His eyes shift over to his leader, "What kind of technique did you use on her?" He asked curiously.

"An old spell…a very old spell, one that dates back further than I care to remember. At one time, it was to be used by soldiers operating in secret to maintain their secrecy from anyone who discovered something that could compromise their mission. Of course, the level of this spell used back then was much lower for fear of erasing too much."

"What do you mean?" Ryuji found himself asking.

"Come now, I thought you were bright enough to know where I'm going with this." Kei said and looked at her companion.

Ryuji stared at Kei for a moment; 'She doesn't seem to have a limit to…' he thought and saw her smile. He lowered his head and looked at the unconscious girl on the ground, realizing that train of thought would only likely cause trouble for himself, he turn his thoughts back to the Sailor Senshi. "Is she worth all this trouble?"

"You said it yourself she has a strong will and like this, things won't be as difficult. Besides, she left me with no other choice, and after some thought I think this will be more advantageous to us anyway." Kei said and looked down at Rei with a smile. Kei turned back to Ryuji after a couple seconds and said, "I want you to take her up to that room I showed you when we first came here, the one just down the hall from mine." She waved her hand over Rei and the shackles around her limbs opened.

Ryuji crouched down, picked Rei, and threw her over his shoulder, "Are you sure? What if she…"

"I don't believe that is a problem anymore. When she wakes up, she won't be the same person she was down here. Besides, we must play our parts. I can't allow her to wake up down here if she is to believe what I want her to." Kei said.

"So, what's the plan from here on then?" Ryuji asked.

"First, bring her to her new room. Then I will remain with her until she wakes, I must be the first one she sees. After I decipher how deeply I erased and what remains, I'll decide what I need to tell her." Kei instructed and Ryuji nodded before heading towards the door with Rei, but paused and looked back at Kei. "I'll join you shortly. She won't wake up for awhile." Ryuji grunted in response before exiting the room with Rei.

Kei smiled broadly and started to laugh, "I can't wait to see the expression on your face, Princess, once you see your  _loyal_  solider again. Just thinking about that moment gives me great pleasure." She said and walked out of the room.

* * *

Luna looked at Usagi weeping on the floor; she didn't know what to do to comfort the girl. She was aware that Usagi had a mental connection to her senshi, but she didn't think it could be so strong. 'I believe her when she said she could sense Rei was in trouble, but I didn't think the connection could be so strong at such a distance. Because there's no telling how far away Rei is currently.'

"I'm sure she's ok Usagi." Luna said comfortingly, though she knew her words must have sounded hollow.

Usagi shook her head, "No." she cried through her tears. "It's like a part of me, a part I didn't even know about just died. It hurts Luna, it hurts…" Usagi cried as her body started to shake from the tears. She coughed a little a hugged her stomach, as though she was going to be sick.

"Usagi, you have to calm down. You can't do anything for her in this state." Luna said.

"I-I didn't d-do anything f-for her! That's the problem!"

"Usagi, you have to calm down." Luna said firmly.

"My mo-mother t-told me would k-know if…if something ha-happened to h-her. Luna, I…"

"Usagi!" Luna yelled, cutting the young girl off. Usagi's tears slowed as she looked at Luna, "You need to calm down or you're going to wake everyone up and I don't think you want to explain why you're in the state you're in at one thirty in the morning."

Usagi looked at Luna for a moment before wiping her eyes and standing up on unsteady legs. "You're right." Usagi said quietly.

Luna nodded, "Now, come lie back down and tell me about what caused you to wake up like you did." She said and when she finished she saw Usagi walk the opposite direction of her bed, she was walking to the door to her room. "Usagi, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Luna, but I can't just lie down in bed right now. I'm going to go out for a walk." Usagi said and grabbed her coat from its hook on the door.

"Usagi, I don't think…"

"Luna, I need to do this. I need to figure out what I just felt; I need to figure out what happened to Rei." Usagi said firmly.

Luna stared at the blond girl for a moment, 'She's serious.' She realized. Usagi had already put her coat on and was headed to her room's window by the time Luna found her voice again, "Do you want me to come with you? Or to call someone else?" Luna asked.

Usagi shook her head, "I don't want to burden them and I think I have to think about this on my own."

"Are you sure you don't even want me to come along?" Luna asked.

Usagi nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure." The blonde haired girl then quietly opened her window; she'd had a lot of practice due to many late night youma fights, and eased herself outside, onto the roof before nimbly jumping to the ground from the low roof. She frowned, as her feet got wet immediately after making contact with the grass, she'd forgotten to put on a pair of shoes. Usagi sighed, 'It must have rained while I was sleeping…' she thought idly and started to walk away from her house, not entirely sure where she intended to go, but her thoughts were solely on her raven-haired friend.

* * *

Mamoru wandered through a dense fog, not entirely sure where he was going. The fog was too thick to see very far, ahead of where he already was, so he found himself walking with is hand extended in front of him, so as not to walk into anything or anyone. After a short time, he believed he could make out a light in the distance and decided that was the point he would head toward. As Mamoru got closer to the light, he noticed someone was standing in it, but couldn't tell who it was; he could only make out the silhouette of the person. The person had to be young because he or she wasn't very tall, but the person's hairstyle was one he was familiar with, but he couldn't be sure it was who it looked like.

"Umm…are you…?"

"Do you hate me Mamo-chan?"

As soon as he heard the voice, he knew exactly who was standing in front of him, "I could never…"

"Then why don't you want me to exist?"

Mamoru sat up in his bed in a cold sweat. He slipped out of bed, walked over to the bathroom in his apartment, and turned on the light of the small room. He turned on the water in the sink and cupped his hands underneath the faucet until he accumulated a fair amount of water and splashed the liquid on his face. That was the second dream he'd had like that, 'Am I doing the right thing? I pushed her away once before and it wasn't the right thing to do.' He asked himself as he looked into the mirror above the sink.

Mamoru turned off the water and stared down at the sick thoughtfully, 'Of course, this is different than that time though. I'm not having dreams that tell me to let go of Usagi, the opposite in fact. No, I felt this from Usagi herself, when we were together with the other senshi and even when we were alone together.' Mamoru turned off the light

'I don't know if she doesn't realize it, or rather she won't admit it to herself. Maybe she doesn't want to hurt me or maybe she doesn't want to jeopardize the future.' He thought as he walked back into his bedroom. 'The future…'

"It could be that I'm risking too much. It's not so much Crystal Tokyo, but…' Mamoru stopped and looked a framed photograph of Usagi and him in an embrace with Chibi-Usa in the middle. He found he couldn't look at the picture for very long and turned the frame facedown onto the dresser. 'If I continue in the current direction I'm heading, what will become of Chibi-Usa? It's not right to gamble her life, but shouldn't Usagi's happiness, who is here right now, be more important?'

Mamoru didn't have an answer to his own question, but at such times, he almost wished he didn't have any knowledge of the future. 'I guess this is why Setsuna is so protective of knowledge of the future.' Mamoru sat on his bed and sighed, he certainly didn't want to forget Chibi-Usa now that he does know her, and yet he felt like he should proceed. 'I don't want Usagi to have regrets later. I want her to be with me because she truly wants to be with me and not because she feels obligated to because of a future that under normal circumstances, we won't know.'

Mamoru knew though, that their situation was not normal, it was far from it. Normal people didn't fight evil beings that threatened Earth, normal people didn't have such storied past lives as they did, and normal people age and die in their 80s or 90s or even if they're lucky their 100s, not in their 1000s. No, they were far from normal, but that didn't mean they shouldn't have a say in deciding their own fate.

Mamoru lay back down in his bed and silently wished that everything would work out for everyone, especially the one person who had the least certain future, Chibi-Usa.

* * *

'What am I doing here, it's not like she's even here?' Minako thought as she looked up the long stairs to Hikawa Jinja. In the back of her mind, she realized it was late and she should be at home sleeping but 'how can I sleep peacefully in my bed at home when Rei's out there somewhere?' Every day that passes only seems to heighten her worry. 'At least here, I feel closer to her'

Minako pulled her jacket closer to her body as a sudden gust of wind blew by; it was chillier than she expected it to be. She couldn't understand why she felt the need to do this to herself, 'It's not like Rei is going to just magically appear here or anything.' She thought and leaned against the large wooden sign that read 'Hikawa Jinja Entrance'.

The blonde haired girl's thoughts traveled back to her conversation with Usagi at the Outers' house. She talked to Ami and Makoto a little about what she learned from talking to Usagi, but not everything. Minako looked at the starry sky, and searched for the bright red planet that only looked like a distant star from Earth. It didn't take her long find her desired planet and she smiled sadly at the far away world, 'I realize why I lose to Usagi and why you love her so much, Rei. She's so much better and stronger than I'll ever be. It's all right if I can't stop feeling how I do, right? I want what's best for you and I want you to be with the person who can make you happiest. Usagi is the one who can do that, I know she is. If there's any chance of that happening, you need to be here, so you can fight for that chance. I wish to God that I knew where you are now, I would…' Minako's thoughts were halted when she heard someone coming towards her. She quickly wiped her eyes and prepared herself in case it was some lecherous drunk person or something, it was late and most bars were started to close about this time after all.

Minako slowly turned towards where person was coming from, when she saw the person; she was more then a little surprised to realize that she knew the person. Not only that, this person was one of her best friends, the one she was in charge of protecting, Tsukino Usagi. She was too surprised to move at first, so she merely stared at Usagi and wondered what she was doing out so late at night. Minako pushed away from the sign and started to make her way across the street to where Usagi was walking. Minako crossed the street and had nearly reached the other blonde when a thought entered her mind, 'What will Usagi think when she sees me out here this late? My house isn't exactly close to Rei's…' Minako brushed that thought aside and hurried over to Usagi.

"Usagi!" She called and getting no response, she reached out and tapped Usagi's shoulder.

"Oh Minako-chan, you scared me." Usagi said and held her hand over her chest.

"Usagi, what's wrong?" Minako asked when she saw Usagi's wet cheeks and red eyes. 'She didn't even notice me until I touched her shoulder. Her hair is down and she's in her pajamas, something's wrong…' Minako waited for any answer, but the only response she received was Usagi turning away from her and looking to the ground. "Usagi…" Minako said, putting her hands on the other girl's shoulders again.

Minako was surprised a few seconds later to find Usagi hugging her tightly. Minako responded in kind and held Usagi. She could feel Usagi's body shaking, so she rubbed her back comfortingly, trying to calm down the other girl. "Come on Usagi, tell me what's wrong."

"I couldn't help her." Usagi said quietly, almost too quiet for Minako to hear, but she barely did catch it.

"Usagi, what do you mean?" Minako asked. She could feel a cold pit form in her stomach as she waited for Usagi to give her response. She didn't know what happened, but she knew it wasn't good.

"I know something happened…something happened to Rei tonight and I don't know what to do."

The other blond felt her stomach tighten, "What are you saying?"

Usagi was silent for a short time, as if thinking how to explain what she felt. After what felt like forever to Minako, Usagi finally spoke, "Do-do you remember when all of you…died for me on our way to fight Beryl?" She asked and Minako nodded her head slowly, not like where Usagi was going. "I-It hurt every time… _every time_  one of you died." Usagi pause for moment before adding, "Earlier tonight I felt that same pain again." Usagi said, but shook her head and stared down at the sidewalk and corrected herself, "No, it hurt even worse than it did back then."

"Are you saying Rei's…that she's…?" Minako couldn't say the word as her eyes filled with tears and she would herself unable to speak.

Usagi looked up at Minako with tear-filled eyes, "I don't know and I don't know what to do."

Minako's eyes stared down at Usagi's own, she saw the same fear she felt reflected back at her, but also she saw hope there as well. 'Usagi…'

"I want to go out and look for her and I know I could have found her at that time, but now…now I can't even…" Usagi stopped when she felt a pain in her chest; similar to the pain she felt a short time ago in her room. She didn't realize until it was gone that she could always faintly sense her and possibly all the other senshi as well. Now that she was aware of it, she felt as though a part of her was missing, as though she wasn't whole anymore.

"You can't what?" Minako asked and pulled away from when she looked uncomfortable. "Usagi, what is it? What's wrong?" She asked and looked at Usagi worriedly.

Usagi shook her head, "It's nothing, I'm better now."

Minako didn't look convinced, so she asked again, "Usagi, please tell me if something's wrong."

Usagi turned away from her friend and frowned, she didn't know how to say it without it sounding weird. She looked at Minako again and said, "It's like…I don't feel…complete…whole…with how things are now. Does that make any sense?"

Minako looked at Usagi for a moment before nodded slowly. Yeah, she understood what she meant. In fact, hearing Usagi explain it she had a better understanding about why she felt so lost this night. Minako wondered if the other girls felt the same thing or if it was just Usagi and her.

Minako's silence started to worry Usagi so she spoke again, "Minako?"

"Usagi, you haven't give up on finding Rei safe, have you?"

"Never. I was a little discouraged earlier, when I woke up, but I refuse to believe Rei isn't still alive. I don't fully understand what happened earlier, but it still feels like she's out there somewhere, it's just much harder sense her now." Usagi said and looked at Minako, hoping she understood what she meant.

"You can sense her?" Minako asked and Usagi nodded. The taller blond thought for moment before saying, "And you can still sense her?"

Usagi nodded, "Yeah, it's just not as easy."

"Magic!" Minako blurted out after a little more thought.

Usagi stared at Minako confusedly, "Umm…what?"

"Usagi, I think our enemy may have done something to cause this. That's the only explanation. Our enemy was at least at one time a Sailor Senshi, so it's reasonable to think she'd try to cut off all means we have to find Rei." Minako said and waited to see what Usagi thought about her hypothesis. 'If Usagi still believes she's safe, I won't give up either.'

Usagi looked thoughtful about what Minako suggested and it seemed like a good conclusion, "I never thought about anything like that." Usagi said, but she felt there was still more to what happened. Usagi remembered that Rei seemed to be in a lot of distress and that couldn't be accounted for in Minako's theory. She was sure hadn't imagined it, she'd heard the distress from Rei.

"Usagi, was there something else?" Minako asked, becoming considered by the other girl's lack of speech.

Usagi shook her head, "No, I was just thinking you're probably right. I don't know what I'd do without you Minako."

Minako smiled a little and said, "I think we both know you'd be just fine."

"I'm serious." Usagi protested.

"So am I." Minako said and put her arm around Usagi's shoulder, "Now come on, I'll walk you home. There will be plenty of time to talk about everything after we've gotten a good night's sleep, since tomorrow…err…today's Sunday. I'm sure the other girls will have some more thoughts about what you felt. Besides, you're going to catch a cold dressed like that."

Usagi nodded and started to walk back to her house with Minako. Perhaps sleep could clear her mind and help her understand what happened to Rei.

* * *

Amethyst eyes opened slowly, and blinked a few times to improve her vision. They began to explore the room as best they could from her position on the bed and after a few seconds of examination, her eyes widened. She sat up quickly and her hands immediately went to her head. She felt her stomach lurch and only her will stopped her from losing whatever food she had in her stomach.

"Thank god you're awake!" She heard a voice call from the opposite end of the room. Her eyes focused in on where voice originated from, she found that she couldn't see who was talking to her, but she could strangely still sense where the person was.

"Just who in the heavens are you and where am I?" The dark haired girl demanded.

"You don't remember?" the voice asked, growing louder.

"Should I?"

Kei's lips curled into a sly smile, "Of course. Are you saying you don't?"

"Perhaps if you step into the light, where I can see you, I will." She responded.

"I'm sorry, what was I thinking." Kei replied sheepishly as she walked closer to lamp's light.

The girl in the bed gave her an irritated looked once her companion stepped in to the light fully, "Remove your hood as well."

"Of course." She said and reached up to the hood covering her face and pulled it back.

She simply stared at the woman standing before her, 'She does look some what familiar.' She thought. She could tell the woman had long black hair, despite much of it being hidden beneath her hooded cloak. Her skin was very light, 'She can't go out in the sun much.' She thought idly. The woman's eyes were a dark lifeless black. How someone's eyes could look like that she didn't know and nor did she want to know. She was far from ugly, but she wasn't appealing in the least to her either. Finally, she decided she'd scrutinized the woman enough to speak, "I don't know who you are."

"I see. What exactly can you remember then? Do you even remember your own name?"

"My name…my name is…it's…" She struggled to answer such a simple question and just thinking about it seemed to bring on a headache. A thought struck her, she couldn't even remember her own name, "I…don't know."

"Allow me to help you…" Kei said and stepped closer to the bed.

"I don't need…!" The young girl started to say, but stopped when her head started pounding again. Her hands immediately held her head and her eyes narrowed in pain.

"Are you alright? I can get medicine if you are having headaches." Kei said sounding concerned.

The girl again scrutinized the woman stand before her asking, "Why do you care? What am I to you?"

"You've never been one to mix words, I'm a friend and I want to help you. Why else would I be here with you right now? I'm here to help you in any way I can." Kei explained.

"Even though you say that, I still don't remember you." She responded quietly.

"They must have done real number on you…" Kei remarked off-handedly.

" _They_?" The other girl parroted.

"The Sailor Senshi."

The girl in the bed looked away from her companion and shook her head, "No, that can't be. The Sailor Senshi are good. I might not remember much, but I know that to be true."

"What do you know about the Sailor Senshi?" Kei asked.

"I-I know…I know they guard Queen Serenity and uphold justice."

" _Queen Serenity_? Exactly what year do you think it is?"

"Year 4016 of the Silver Millennium." She said without a shard of doubt.

Kei looked at her for a moment, she had to use all her self-control to keep herself from smiling, 'This is better then I hoped for…' Kei noticed the other girl was giving her an irritated look, likely due to her silence. "I'm sorry; it's just that if that were indeed the year, you would be three. If you look at yourself you'll see it's apparent that you are not three."

"How can this be? Why can't I remember growing up? Why can't I remember anything!" She exclaimed, but already she could feel her head start to pound again. Her hand soon found itself where seemed to be frequently since she awoke, holding her head.

"Don't over-exert yourself. If you'll allow it, I'll try to fill in the gaps in you memory as best I can." Kei said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. After a moment, she hesitantly nodded her head, giving Kei the ok to do what ever she was planning on doing. "Close your eyes." Kei instructed before she reached over and touched the side of her face and almost instantly, images flooded her mind. In reality, it was only a few seconds, but it felt like years passed within her mind.

Kei removed her hand and the other girl opened her eyes to look at Kei. She smiled inwardly at the anger that filled the young girl's eyes. "Where are they?" she asked dangerously.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Kei reprimanded. "First, do you know who you are now?"

"My name is Diana. I was princess of Mars and heir to the Martian Empire until that was taken away from me." She replied.

"What else can you tell me Diana?" Kei asked urging her to continue.

"I was taken away from my home and forced to become the successor of the warrior Sailor Mars; thereby, guardian of the child of Queen Serenity, the spoiled Princess Serenity." Diana explained.

Even though she tried to hide it, a small smile appeared on Kei's face as she listened to her companion. "How do you feel about the other Sailor Senshi?"

"They are nothing to me. Now, tell me where they are!" She demanded.

"They presently reside on Earth. Well Tokyo of the country of Japan to be precise." Kei replied.

"What would they be doing on that planet?" Diana found herself asking.

"I guess I wasn't able to help you with all your memories. Many things have changed since I'm sure you last remember. The first and most important thing I should tell you is that the Sailor Senshi live double lives to keep their identities hidden, even the public is unaware of their existence. They are not easy to find unless something calls them out of hiding, but I expect you would be able to find them easily." Kei explained.

"Don't they have any pride in the powers given to them by their home planets?"

"They are more Earthling now than anything." Kei said and was silent; expecting a reaction or even another question from her companion but neither came. Kei decided see exactly what her intentions are, "What do you plan on doing once you encounter them again?"

"I will see to each of their demises for their betrayal."

Kei smiled without restraint, "I'm pleased to hear that."

"I appreciate what you've done for me, but I must know what your ambition is here." Diana inquired.

"I simply wish to give every kingdom the power they deserve back, instead of the Moon Kingdom having it all and the other Sailor Senshi stand in my way. We have a common enemy, my friend. So, will you follow me, if I assist you?" Kei asked as she stood up and extended her hand to Diana. She saw her reluctance to take her hand so she added, "Following me is the only way to confront them and be successful. I can give you what you need to ensure your victory."

Diana looked at Kei and then looked at her hand, she wasn't entirely sure this was the correct path to take, but for now, it seemed like the only path. "I'm my own person and I won't be under anyone's command, yours included."

"Fair enough." Kei said causally. "Then we have an agreement?"

"Yes. If I am to work with you, I would like to know your name." Diana said and took Kei's hand.

"My name? You can call me, Kei."

* * *

Usagi shot up into a sitting position, forcing Luna off her, and looked around her room. She could feel her heart pounding her chest, "It was only a dream." She whispered. She could hear her mother calling to her in the distance, announcing that breakfast was ready. Usagi took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Luna looked at Usagi from the ground, worriedly. "Usagi, what was only dream?"

The blond haired girl looked to the ground for the black cat and smiled weakly, "It's nothing. It was only a dream."

"A dream about what?" The dark cat asked and jumped back onto the bed and sat beside Usagi.

"It's not important; it was only a dream after all." Usagi said and pulled the covers off of herself. She then slide out of bed and stretched.

"Are you sure?" Luna asked as she watched Usagi. She was still worried about her after what happened earlier. She was relieved when she returned with Minako. Even though they encountered each other by chance, it put the small cat's heart at ease knowing that her charge wasn't alone.

"I'm sure." Usagi said and turned to Luna smiled reassuringly. She looked away from Luna and thought, 'There's no way that would happen.' Usagi walked to her bedroom door and look back at Luna, "I'm going downstairs to have a little breakfast, could you contact everyone and ask them be at the Crown around one."

"I can do that. What do you want me to tell them the reason is?" The black cat asked.

"Tell them it's about Rei and if they have any other questions, they can ask Minako before all of us get together. Thanks Luna." Usagi said and left the cat alone in the room.

* * *

"I should inform you that we are not the only ones residing here. Under my command is a good number of youma." Kei said

Diana stopped at stared at Kei, "Youma?" she exclaimed in a mixture of shock and disgust.

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"Youma are disgusting creatures and I do not wish to be allied with such abominations." Diana said.

"They are simply a means to an end. I needed a force that could fight on fairly even ground with the Sailor Senshi and they were the only ones capable of doing that. Besides, I very well couldn't do all the work myself." Kei stated.

"Well they aren't needed any longer; I can handle all of them well enough." Diana said.

"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you. Sure, you may be able to hold your ground against one or two of them at a time, but all of them at once is impossible for you right now."

Diana stopped at looked at Kei, "Are you saying I'm weak?"

"Heaven's no." Kei said with a laugh. "I'm simply saying at your current strength you would not be able to handle all of the Sailor Senshi at once, but perhaps I can give you an extra boost in that."

"What do you mean?" Diana asked curiously.

Kei held up her hand and started to walk once again, "In due time. At the moment however, I want you to meet the two youma you will be working with." Diana was visibly disgusted when she learned exactly where Kei was taking her, but followed silently. After only a little more walking, they reached two large double doors. Kei paused and looked at her companion, "This is it."

Diana nodded and Kei pushed the doors open. Diana stepped inside the dark room along side of Kei, who shut the door as they entered, eliminating much of the light that filled the room with the doors open. As they walked into the room, Diana could sense two others in the room, and they weren't human. When they got towards the rear of the room, she saw two large figures, seemingly waiting for them.

"Gentlemen, allow me to present…Sailor Mars." Kei said and stepped to the away for her a little.

The two youma stepped up, finally giving Diana a good look at them, 'Repulsive creatures.' She thought as she looked at them.

"This here is Ryuji. He's my right hand man, so to speak." Kei said and pointed to the smaller of the two youma. Diana watched as Ryuji lowered his head respectfully, but didn't make any movement herself. "And this is Ichiro. He does most of the legwork I need done." Kei said pointing to the other youma.

Ichiro looked at the girl beside Kei, "So, you're the pathetic human I've heard so much about. You've built up quite the reputation; I only hope you can live up to it…"

"Mind your tongue, you filthy youma, before you find yourself in death's embrace." Diana said dangerously and glared at the youma.

Kei sighed audibly, "Ichiro, that's no way to act in front of our new ally. I would be mindful your manners, lest you want to end up like your brothers."

"I'm not afraid of her." Ichiro said and turned to Diana.

"But you know better than to disobey me, don't you?" Kei asked, her voice growing sharper as she spoke.

Ichiro's gaze fell unto Kei; he visibly flinched at her angered expression. He looked down and bit his lip, "Very well."

Kei smiled at Ichiro's change in attitude and Diana gave her a curious look. "Good, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, we can get down to business."

* * *

Usagi looked at the group and awaited their reactions. She'd just finished explaining what prompted her to ask all of them to an impromptu senshi meeting, carefully leaving out exactly how upset she had been. They were at Makoto's, at her suggestion. Makoto thought it would be better to meet in a place more private than the Crown and everyone agreed.

Usagi was happy that everyone made it, bus she was still surprised that Setsuna was even present. She was usually only present at the very important, 'the world is coming to an end' meetings.

"Usagi, I wasn't aware you had that kind of ability." Ami said.

"Well, I've only noticed it myself in extreme situations, like when we fought at the D-Point." Usagi explained.

"What do you think this means then?" Makoto asked.

"I'm sure she's fine, but I'm worried about her." Usagi said and dropped her gaze her lap.

Mamoru, who was sitting next to her on the sofa, reached over and squeezed her hand. Usagi looked over to him and gave him thankful smile. She faced everyone again and said, "Minako thinks it might be out enemy's doing, to prevent us from being able to find Rei. She obviously possesses strong magic, so it's possible." Usagi said. Usagi looked to Setsuna for her opinion, but she remained silent, although her expression seemed solemn to Usagi's eyes.

"Is something like that even possible, Setsuna?" Haruka asked.

Setsuna was silent for a long time after the question, but everyone waited patiently for her response, especially Usagi. The blond Princess didn't want to think some thing worse could have happened. "It is…possible." She finally responded and the room let out a collective sigh of relief, except for Setsuna's fellow outer senshi, they knew there was more than what she was saying.

"See, even Setsuna says that could have happened." Minako chirped, happy the sage-like senshi didn't completely rule out her idea.

"All we need to do now is find Rei, before anything more can happen." Makoto said to the group.

Usagi nodded, she couldn't agree with that idea more, but she couldn't bring herself to get too lively; her dream was still weighing on her mind. Mamoru glanced at Usagi and sighed quietly, he could tell she was even more worried than she was letting on. He only hoped her fears don't come true.

* * *

"Are we clear then Ichiro? I want you to raise such hell it forces every Sailor Senshi to take action. Do what ever it takes." Kei said and looked at the youma, who nodded.

"Yes, I understand." He said and started to walk away.

"I wish for you to accompany him, Diana." Kei said, causing Ichiro to stop for second, before continuing his departure.

"I told you, I do not wish to be associated with any youma." She said abruptly turned away from Kei.

"That's a pity, because where he goes the other Sailor Senshi are sure to be…" Kei trailed and smiled as she saw Diana consider the idea after hearing that.

"Fine, but don't blame me if I kill him." Diana said.

"If you feel he is useless, do as you please to him. I don't need inept youma." Kei said and Diana nodded before starting to leave herself.

"Wait, there's one more thing…"

"What is it?" Diana questioned.

"Before you leave, I have a present to give you, Diana." Kei said and gestured for her companion to kneel down, she reluctantly complied. After a moment Kei closed her eyes and concentrated, she'd never done this before, but she knew it would be essential if she wished to succeed. Kei placed her hand on her companion's head and when she did, Diana closed her eyes as well. When her hand started to glow in a black light, she muttered some indiscernible words. Within a few moments, her companion was cover in the black light that once only surrounded Kei's hand. Kei removed her hand and when she did, she dropped down to one knee and watched, as her companion remained surrounded by the black energy and slowly it seemed to be absorbed by Diana's body.

Once the dark energy was no longer visible, Diana stood up opened her eyes, which were no longer amethyst in color, but rather a dark black. She balled up her right hand into a fist and punched the air; she could feel energy flowing through her body, "Incredible. What was that?"

"I've given you some of the energy that has made me as strong as I am. This will make you strong enough to defeat any Sailor Senshi."

Diana could feel her lips curl into a smile unconsciously, but she shook her head to clear her mind again. "I will do my best." She said and started to walk towards the door, but stopped and turned back to Kei, "Are you not coming?"

"Regretfully, no. I need to remain here for the time being, as there are other things I must do." Kei said and stood slowly.

"If that's what you need to do, I will return shortly." Diana said and started to walk away.

"Diana, I would like you to have Ichiro do all the physical work, while you observe."

"Why?" Diana asked, sounding a little angry.

"I want you to observe their battle tactics before engaging them." Kei explained.

"I already know how they fight!"

"It's better this way because now you can look for any weaknesses you can exploit and watching Ichiro fight with them will give you the opportunity to do that." Kei said, but saw her companion still wasn't pleased with the idea. "I'm simply trying to give you the best chance you can have. You don't want to be unprepared do you?"

"I won't make any promises." Diana said and walked out the door.

Kei smiled as she watched Diana leave, "What do you think, Ryuji?"

"Was that wise? You told me that energy is dangerous and difficult to control." Ryuji said as he stepped out of the shadows in the dimly lit room.

"I believe we have enough time before it becomes a problem. Besides, there was no other choice, at her previous level; she wouldn't be able to stand on par with all the other senshi when they're together. Now she can and then some. Just to be safe though, I want you to follow her. I want to know what her reaction is to seeing her former friends again, especially the Princess."

"As you wish." Ryuji said and bowed slightly.

"Ryuji, this is meant to be strictly recon for her, but should she see fit to step in don't stop her. Her reaction to meeting the other Sailor Senshi will give us a good indication of how good a job we can expect from her."

"You don't think it's a little soon to allow her such freedom?" Ryuji asked.

" _Freedom_? No, this is more for our benefit than it is hers. As I said, I want to know her reaction to the other Sailor Senshi. They aren't likely to give up on her easily. I planted images in her mind, but ensuring that they remain firmly set in her mind is the trickier part. I even used the best method possible in build fake memories, mixing factual images and events with false ones. There are factors, however that I can't account for until she encounters them and if more steps must be taken, they will be. Of course, if things get too unfavorable for us, I expect you to intervene. I've spent a lot of time on this and I don't want to see it all go to hell before it barely starts. I would go myself to ensure things go smoothly, but I'm more drained then I thought I'd be." Kei said and started to walk back to her in the rear of the room.

"I understand and I will do as you wish." Ryuji said and bowed slightly.

"Good." She said and sat down. "Get going before they get too far ahead and you are unable to follow."

"Hai!" Ryuji said and abruptly turned around, towards the door.

"I look forward to hearing good things upon your return, Ryuji." Kei called, causing Ryuji to pause for a moment.

He turned around and said, "As do I." He quickly continued making his way to the door, 'This should be an interesting show…'

* * *

It was almost an hour since they set out and Diana found herself getting impatient, "Why do you insist upon waiting for the cover of darkness?"

"Foolish human, you understand nothing." Ichiro said disgustedly.

Diana glared at the youma, but turned to the setting sun rather than say anything, 'I'll kill this youma before this night is done.' She thought and smiled as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon after what seemed like hours of waiting with the youma beside her.

"Now this is where the fun begins." Ichiro said and walked away from Diana.

"Whatever. Just make sure you get all of them come." Sailor Mars said, having transformed as soon as Ichiro left her side.

"I plan on it." Ichiro said and looked around for best place to get started. He smiled and focused in on a group of kids play basketball, none could have been older then fourteen, 'I'm afraid, they'll all be dead before you have a chance to get involved.'

"What are you doing?" Mars asked when she saw where the youma was headed.

"I'm going to call them out, just like you want." Ichiro said smiled at Mars.

"There's no reason to involve innocent kids!" Mars called at Ichiro.

"And that's why you're weak!" Ichiro yelled and sped towards the basketball court.

Mars cursed under her breath and ran after the youma. She quickly found herself even with the youma as he reached the basketball court. She heard the frightened kids screaming about a monster. She looked around for an idea about what to do; she thought of only one, so she hastily brought her hands above her head and called upon her element. The words escaped her mouth without any thought…

"Hell Fire!"

A wave of flames shot out from her hand and sailed right into the gap between the kids and Ichiro. The youma stopped just before he could make contact with the flames and glared at Mars.

"Get out of here!" Mars yelled at the shocked kids. When they didn't move for moment, Mars shouted again, "NOW!" Finally, they reacted and ran away as fast as their legs would carry them. She sighed in relief and look back over to Ichiro; who was still glaring at her.

"What the hell did you do that for?" He yelled angrily.

"I told you there's no reason to involve kids." She repeated and stared at the youma contemptuously.

"You'll pay for getting in my way!" Ichiro yelled approached Mars.

"Please…feel free to try." Mars said and entered her battle stance.

* * *

Setsuna suggested everyone remain together and when anyone asked why, she gave the same answer, she had a strong feeling something was going to happen today and it would be easier if they remained together. So here they were, walking down the street, near Makoto's apartment, since they remained there most of the day.

The group noticed there was a lot of commotion up ahead, fearing the worst; they sped up to see exactly what was going. As they got closer, they could hear one of the people talking…

"There was like some huge monster and I thought I was done for, but then some girl in red shot fire from her hands and stopped that thing."

"Girl who throws fire…" Usagi repeated.

The young boy turned around to see another group had gathered to hear his story again. He opened his mouth to retell his survival story, but was cut off by a member of the newly arrived group.

"Where? Where did this happen?" Minako asked.

"N-Not too far from here…by the basketball court in Tokyo Central Park." He answered.

Before another word could be said, the group ran in the direction of the park. 'It's got to be…it just has to be…Rei.' Usagi thought as she and her friends to the park, hoping they weren't too late.

* * *

Ichiro charged at Mars and she looked more then willing to oblige the youma, but raised her hand and motioned for the youma to stop when she felt something. "They're almost here."

Ichiro looked at her with a puzzled expression, "What are you talking about?"

An irritated look cross her face and an odd feeling washed over her, but she ignored it and simply said, "The Sailor Senshi are nearly here, prepare yourself!" Mars positioned herself so she could get good feel as to where they were coming from when she remembered what agreed earlier, "They're yours for now, but if you screw up, they're mine." She said ran the cover of trees that lined the edges of the park. She leapt on a branch of one of the larger tree, so she'd have go view of everything.

"Coward." Ichiro mumbled under his breath and waited boldly for the Sailor Senshi to arrive.

* * *

Mars watched anxiously from her position in the tree for their arrival. A whirlwind of emotions filled her being as she waited to see her former partners again, and it felt as though anger was becoming the dominate one. She'd felt different ever since she received Kei's 'present', but what she noticed the most was that it seemed to put her negative emotions into overdrive. Her head shot up when she felt the Sailor Senshi were upon them.

At the front of the group, were Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, followed by the inner senshi, and with them followed by the outer senshi. Mars's cold eyes traveled over all of them. She felt something inside her tell her to attack them, but she forced herself to ignore the urge. However, she couldn't stop herself from focusing in on the two at the head of the group.

* * *

The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen entered the park and hurried to where the kid spotted the youma. The park seemed oddly quiet and in the sky, no moon was visible, a bad omen. With their superhuman speed, they soon found themselves at their desired location and it didn't take much searching to find the youma that caused the problem earlier, since he did not attempt to hide himself, but Sailor Mars was nowhere to be found.

"Where is she?" Sailor Moon asked.

"I don't know who you're talking about." Ichiro stated calmly.

"You're a liar!" Sailor Moon yelled and started towards the youma, but Tuxedo Kamen blocked her path.

"We know that she was here. So, make it easier on yourself and tell us where she is."

"There's nothing to tell…" The youma paused held his arms out to his sides, "…to a pile of corpses!" Ichiro yelled and prepared to fire off an attack that he hoped would kill off all the sailor senshi in one fell swoop. Just as he prepared to fire off the attack an inferno engulfed the unsuspecting youma, "Nani?" he called out and looked in the direction the flames had come from, "You! I knew you could never be trusted!" Ichiro shouted before screaming in pain as the flames consumed him and turned him into a pile of dust.

As Ichiro was consumed by the flames, the one responsible for them whispered, "You're an eyesore, be gone." All the senshi and Tuxedo Kamen looked on with looks of shock, 'What just happened?' was the common thought of all the members in the group of warriors.

Suddenly someone dressed in a familiar, yet still different, red fuku jumped down from a nearby tree. The raven hair girl landed in a crouch with her face looking down at the ground and very slowly, she stood and lifted her head to face the sailor senshi, finally revealing herself fully to them.

"REI!" Sailor Moon yelled and stood up to run over to the previously missing Sailor Senshi, but Tuxedo Kamen put his cane in front her stopping her from moving with the black object. Sailor Moon turned away from Mars and gave Mamoru a curious look that asked him what he what he was doing.

"Look at her first." Tuxedo Kamen instructed.

Sailor Moon turned back to Sailor Mars and saw why Mamoru had stopped her. Standing before Sailor Moon was not the Sailor Mars that she knew; it was someone different, someone dark. Mars' fuku had changed; it was more like body armor. She was covered in a metallic red armor that shined as any light touched its surface. Her eyes were no longer the amethyst Sailor Moon remembered them as, but rather an intimidating dark tanzanite, almost pure black in color.

Mars smiled down at the rest of the Sailor Senshi, but her smile held no warmth, no cheer, and no joy. Rather her expression only held malice and a coldness none of the senshi had even seen Mars show. "Sayonara,  _my friends_!" Mars yelled and raised her right hand into the air.

The senshi and Tuxedo Kamen watched in shock as a large ball of flames formed just above her hand.

A shadowy figure watched apprehensively from a wooded area close to the battleground. The figure held a long pole-type weapon with a blade at the top. The figure gripped the pole tighter as the unimaginable transpired before their very eyes.

'Damn it! This is the worst-case scenario; I didn't want it to come to this, but I can't sit back any longer…' the figure thought as the individual heard Mars' attack being called out.

"Hell Fire!"

End Ch. 25

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A corrupted/manipulated Sailor Mars was the starting point for this story, everything else kind of formed that idea. It seems like it was so long ago that the thought struck me for this and it really has been lol. The first chapter of this story was posted online for the first time March 5, 2004, so a little more than ten years ago. That's scary looking back now, but this story will always be my baby :D


	26. Mars' Fall from Grace

Chapter 26 – Mars' Fall from Grace

* * *

A shadowy figure watched apprehensively from a wooded area close to the battleground. The figure held a long pole-type weapon with a blade at the top. The figure gripped the pole tighter as the unimaginable transpired before their very eyes.

'Damn it! This is the worst-case scenario; I didn't want it to come to this, but I can't sit back any longer…' the figure thought as the individual heard Mars' attack being called out.

"Hell Fire!"

Sailor Moon stared wide-eyed and shook her head as she whispered, "No. No. This is still that nightmare." Around her, everyone's expressions fell from relief to shock. Even Pluto held a grave and somewhat stunned expression. Uranus seemed to be the first to recover and called for everyone to take cover.

With the flames getting closer, all the senshi took Uranus' advice and dove to the ground for cover; all expect for Sailor Moon who just continued to stand there. Upon seeing Moon's lack of movement, Tuxedo Kamen ran over to her. "Don't just stand there. You need to take cover as well."

Sailor Moon turned to Tuxedo Kamen and stared at him as though she didn't understand what he just said. Realizing there wasn't much time left Tuxedo Kamen decided against saying anything more and simply took her by her shoulders and pulled her down to the ground with him. He hastily covered her with his cape. He knew the thin material would offer little protection against the fire, but under the circumstances, that was the best he could do. Tux looked up quickly and saw the flames were nearly upon them, so he ducked his head and covered it with his arm, bracing for the worst.

"Silence Wall!"

The group was surprised when they heard a loud boom, yet everyone remained unharmed. The warriors looked up to see exactly what happened. A large amount of black energy encircled the group and at the front stood its source. Standing a short distance in front of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, with her Silence Glaive high above her head, was Sailor Saturn. The dome of black energy she created, holding off Mars' flames.

Saturn looked over her shoulder to the dumbfounded group, "Get out of here. I'll hold her off, but all of you need to get out of here!" All the senshi just stood up and stared at the senshi of death and rebirth, but none of them said a thing or showed a hint of movement. "What are all of you waiting for? I can't maintain this barrier forever!"

That statement seemed to bring the senshi back to reality, Mars was still attacking and Saturn was fighting to keep the shield up. She was giving them a means to escape, but…

"Saturn? I thought…I mean…where did you…?" Moon stuttered.

Saturn quickly cut her off, "That's not important right now. What  **is**  important is that you and everyone else leave this place and go somewhere safe."

"You want us to leave?" Venus asked stepping up beside Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon.

"Yes." Saturn said simply and turned her focus back keeping the barrier up.

"But what about…what about Rei?" Moon asked looking past Saturn and shield she created to the previously missing senshi with a sorrowful expression. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, seeing Rei again was supposed be a joyous moment. But then, this person that appeared in front of them wasn't Rei, she wasn't the Rei they knew.

"I'll do the best I can, but right now she isn't someone that can be easily reasoned with." Saturn said and gripped her weapon tighter, "The best thing you can do for her right now, is learn about what happened to her from Pluto."

Everyone turned to Pluto, but she avoided their gazes and stared at the ground. "Pluto?" Uranus asked.

"This isn't the place to discuss this." Pluto said and looked at Uranus. "It would be best if we left for now, as Saturn suggested." The green haired senshi said, addressing the whole group.

"What?" Everyone except the trio at the front of the group responded, who were just speechless.

"No good can come of us remaining here, not in this fight." Pluto said seriously.

"You can't be serious…" Jupiter began to say.

"Just listen to me!" Pluto said, uncharacteristically raising her voice. "I know what all of you are thinking, but things will only be worse if we remain here. We should leave for now and entrust Rei to Saturn."

"That choice is Sailor Moon's to make." Venus said and put her hand on the other girl's shoulder and whispered, "I'll leave this decision to you. We'll follow whatever choice you make."

Sailor Moon turned to Venus, her crystal blue eyes swimming with unshed tears. 'What am I supposed to do? I can't leave Rei now that she's so close…but if  _Pluto_  is saying that we should leave…' She closed her eyes tightly, forcing the tears her eyes held to finally fall from her eyes. '…I don't know what to do…'

"Please! Sailor Moon! I won't let her leave and I won't leave without her. I'll bring her to where everyone goes, but I can't with everyone here. I'm sure this sounds weird, but you have to trust me!" Saturn called.

Sailor Moon stared at Saturn and bit down on her lower lip. She bit down so hard on it a small droplet of blood could be seen running down her chin. 'I can't just…'

"Sailor Moon, please!" Saturn pleaded once more.

"Alright." Moon said finally and looked passed Saturn to Mars.

"Are you sure?" Venus asked quietly.

Sailor Moon shook her head, "I'm not…but if both Pluto and Saturn…'I don't want to leave'…I have to trust them."

Venus nodded and wiped Sailor Moon's chin with her thumb, "Okay." Venus turned to the rest of the group and said, "We're going to leave Rei to Saturn for now, so we need to leave for now. Can we go back to your place Makoto?"

Everyone looked surprised that they were actually going to leave after they finally saw Rei again, but no one questioned it. This was Sailor Moon's decision after all.

"Umm…sure." Jupiter replied.

All the senshi began their slow retreat and after only a couple steps away from her previous position, Sailor Moon stopped and looked back at Saturn and Mars one more time. Moon turned to her right when she felt someone touch her arm.

"Come on. Everything will be alright." Tuxedo Kamen said and took Sailor Moon's arm, trying to usher her away from the battle.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes and nodded slowly, she was afraid if she didn't stop looking at the two dark haired girls, she wouldn't be able to leave. She kept her eyes closed even as she felt Tuxedo Kamen pulling her away from the battle, allowing him to lead her away from Mars and Saturn.

* * *

Mars watched as everyone escaped except for the dark haired girl she was currently battling with. For a moment, she thought of breaking off her attack and going after them, but her instincts told her not to. This dark haired senshi that came to their aid, wasn't some normal warrior, she could feel that. The short haired girl was a Sailor Senshi.

"You're obviously a Sailor Senshi, but I don't know who you are and as such I have no grievance with you, so do yourself a favor and get out of my way." Mars said.

"I will not."

"Fight me then, you can not maintain that defense forever!" Mars yelled.

"I will not."

"Then stand aside!" Mars shouted getting angrier.

"I will not."

"If you will not stand aside, you will share their fate!"

"Stop this! This is not what you want. Have you forgotten you duties? Have you forgotten that you have someone you should be protecting?" Saturn shouted.

"Pro-tect." A foggy image of a girl with a weird hairstyle suddenly appeared in her mind; Mars lessened the strength of her attack as a confused expression replaced her angered one. She tried to force her mind to focus on the image of the girl, ' _Who…is she?_ ' Rei asked herself.

Suddenly a voice enters Rei's mind, ' _You aren't going to fall for her tricks, are you?_ '

Rei took a moment to think, ' _Is that girl…just a trick?_ '

' _Of course, she just wants you to drop your attack so she can kill you! These senshi are ruthless enough to use such tricks to catch you off guard, don't give her that chance! You must kill the Sailor Senshi!_ ' the voice said again.

Mars' aura visibly changed from red to black and she intensified her attack again, the strength of it was enough to break Saturn's 'Silence Wall' and sent Saturn backwards, burning her arms and legs a little in the process as well.

"You can't beat me by using tricks!" Mars shouted and glared down at the motionless girl. "Saturn…was it? That's what they called you, correct? I thought your existence was forbidden."

"Times have changed." Saturn said as she sat up and used her Silence Glaive as support and brought herself up to her feet again.

"I guess it's not really important to me anyway." Mars said and shrugged. "What is important to me, however, is catching up to them and right now you're being a real nuisance. So I'll say this one more time, stand aside or be prepared to meet the same fate as them."

"I can't allow that to happen. Besides, by now I'm sure they are far enough away that you can't sense them anyway." Saturn said calmly.

"You know, I didn't have any intention of fighting you, but you're making this really difficult." Mars said walked towards the other senshi. After a couple steps she spoke again, "I'm starting to lose my patience with you, so let's just cut the talk now." Mars clenched her fists and her sides

"Why are you doing this? Why would you attack your friends?" Saturn said and held her ground.

"Friends?" Mars repeated quietly. After a short silence she spoke again, "I don't know what you're talking about; I have no friends among them."

"Don't allow yourself to be corrupted by false thoughts!"

"What would you know?" Mars said and took a few steps closer to Saturn.

"I know you aren't yourself right now and that you've been brainwashed by someone seeking revenge." Saturn said and took a step back from the approaching Mars.

Mars stopped and cocked her head to the side, "Brainwashed…eh? It's funny that you should mention such a thing, since that's exactly what it feels like you're trying to do to me right now."

Saturn looked shocked as she said, "I would never do such a thing. I simply want to help you return to your true self."

"This is who I am! Don't claim to know me better than I know myself!" Mars yelled and to walked at Saturn once again.

"I know deep down you don't want to do this, you will only hurt worse after this!" Saturn exclaimed. Saturn held her Silence Glaive in a defensive position in front of her body and stood firm, waiting for Mars

"Stop trying to be my friend!" Mars yelled and charged Saturn in an all out run, throwing punches at the girl.

"I  **am**  your friend! And as your friend I will bring you back to who you used to be!" Saturn said earnestly as she dodged Mars' attempted strikes.

"Tell me,  _friend._ Why is it that all of you abandoned me? Are you telling me that's what a friend does?" Mars asked, but didn't let up her attack on the younger girl.

Saturn caught Mars' left fist with her free hand and block her other fist with the pole of her weapon, "That didn't happen. We'd never do anything like that."

"Are you telling me to believe what your saying over what my mind is telling me, now?" Mars countered.

"That's not your mind and those aren't  _your_  thoughts! You've been fooled!" Saturn yelled as she struggled to keep Mars from overpowering her.

Mars noticed the wide stance the other senshi was in and positioned her left leg between the other girl's legs. Mars inched her foot forward until it was slightly behind Saturn's right leg. Mars moved her face closer to Saturn's until her lips were almost touching the younger girl's ear and whispered, "Allow me to show you why soldiers of Mars are the fiercest in the galaxy."

Mars abruptly pushed Saturn back with the fist she held, causing her to trip over Mars' foot behind her and fell to the ground. Seeing the prone position of her opponent, Mars quickly ran up to her and threw a punch towards her mid-section.

Saturn was surprised when she saw Mars' fist descending upon her. Her instincts took over and rolled to her right, narrowly avoiding the senshi of fire's fist. Luckily, for Saturn, she acted quick enough and narrowly avoided the fire senshi's attack.

"You're not getting away!" Mars yelled and pointed her hand at the other girl, who was still lying on the ground.

Saturn's eyes widen as she saw Mars ready her attack and sat up. She tightened her grip on her Silence Glaive and swiftly positioned it in front of her body, holding it with both hands. Simultaneously both girls called out their attack phrases.

"Hell Fire!"

"Silence Wall!"

It seemed almost immediately after the girls named their attacks, they collided with one another. 'Something's not right' Saturn thought and gripped the pole even tighter. 'Where did she get all this power from? I saw nothing of her having this unnatural power in my visions. This might be more than I can handle alone.' She thought as she felt herself being pushed back, but suddenly that stopped. Before she knew it, the flames started to dissipate, so she dropped her shield. Saturn was shocked to see Mars right in front of her as the flames completely extinguished.

"That weapon of yours is annoying." Mars said and quickly kicked the section of the pole between Saturn's hands. Saturn's Silence Glaive flew high into the air and landed behind Mars. "Let's see how long you can last with out that." The senshi of fire said and looked at the other senshi.

"You know I don't want to fight you." Saturn said and stood up.

"Then just stand there and die already." Mars said.

"I sorry but can't do that either." Saturn said and took a defensive fighting stance.

"So you are ready to fight then?" Mars asked and entered her own fighting stance.

"I can't allow you to go anywhere, unless you leave this place with me." The senshi of death and rebirth said calmly.

" _Allow me_? You still don't understand who you're dealing with, do you?" Mars asked.

"You're wrong. I know you quite well in fact, Rei. You have a stronger resolve than perhaps anyone I know. So, I know you are still fighting this magic that has taken over your body and I'm here to assist you in that fight to the best of my ability."

"Still spouting that same ridiculous nonsense, are you?" Mars said, sounding irritated.

"It's the truth!" Saturn exclaimed.

"Prove it to me then." Mars said and watched as a surprised expression crossed the other girl's face.

Saturn was silent for a short time, as she tried to think of what to say. She hadn't expected Mars to say that, but there was a problem. "Proving it to you is not enough. Even then you won't return to your true self."

"That's what I thought." Mars said and clenched her fists tighter. "You say that simply because you can't prove anything to me!"

"That isn't the case. If you'll just come with me to where everyone is we can figure something out." Saturn said.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Mars yelled and ran at the other senshi, resuming her attack once again.

'This is getting me nowhere.' Saturn thought and blocked another punch. 'She's attacking so fiercely, I can't remain on the defensive, but I don't want to attack her and risk hurting her.' Mars found an opening, kicked Saturn in the stomach, and clasped her hands together and pounded them into younger girl's back; causing Saturn to fall to the ground, onto her stomach. Mars walked over to her left side and grabbed her arm and held it to the ground as she thrust her knee into it, making a loud creaking noise.

"AAAAHHHH!" Saturn screamed as she felt one of the bones in her arm break.

"It's time for you to die now. I've already spent too much time on you." Mars said as she stood up and walked in front of Saturn. Saturn used her right arm to push herself into a sitting position and looked up at Mars with tears rolling down her cheeks. Tears partially from the pain of her left arm, but also from her inability to do anything for the senshi of fire. "Rei, listen to me…you have to fight this, not for me, but for Usagi. Have you fallen so far that you'd forget about her?"

Mars' aura change back to red, "…Usa-gi?" 'I don't understand; who is she talking about?' Mars thought and suddenly that same image of a girl with a weird hairstyle appeared in her mind again, but the image was too foggy for her to decipher exactly who it was.

"Please Rei come back." Saturn pleaded

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Mars asked confusedly.

"What would you have me call you?" Saturn said, equally confused by Mars' statement.

"I'm Diana." Mars said without a shred of doubt in her voice.

'Diana…but that was her name in….' Saturn thought "No, you were Diana, but that was several thousand years ago. You are Rei, Hino Rei, the Senshi of Fire, avatar of Mars, and protector of the Princess of the moon, Sailor Moon."

"I know who I am! Stop trying to confuse me!" Mars shouted.

"I'm not! I just want to help you…let me help you, Rei. It doesn't have to be like this!" Saturn appealed and extended her right hand to the other girl.

"Just leave me alone!" Mars said as she backed away from the senshi of death and rebirth. She didn't like the way the other girl's words were starting to make her feel.

"Rei, please don't run away!" Saturn pleaded and stood up. She bit her lower lip when she felt a sharp pain surge through her left arm. She disregarded it as much as possible and started to walk towards Mars, slowly. She finally started to feel like she was making some headway with the senshi of fire.

Mars jumped back a few times to put some distance between Saturn and herself, "Just stay away!" Mars yelled and bent down and touched the ground with the palm of her hand, "Wall of Flames." Mars said quietly. After she muttered the phrase and a 'wall of flames' shot up from the ground, and separated her from Saturn. Mars looked at the other girl for a moment before running in the opposite direction of her.

Saturn's eyes widened as she watched flames come up from the ground to create a wall between her and Mars. The wall seemed to stretch a great distance, so there was no quick way around it. Beyond the flames she could see Mars make a break for it. She hurried up to the flames as fast as she could and called for her friend, "Rei!" Either the other girl was too far away to hear her or she just didn't care, Saturn wasn't sure which it was, but no more then thirty seconds later the flames dissipated. Saturn looked around, but the senshi of fire was nowhere to be found. "Damn it." She cursed under her breath. 'It appears I can't bring you back, but there is someone else who can.' She thought and started to walk gingerly to where her fellow Sailor Senshi went. 'Their not too far from here if they went to Makoto's apartment…' She thought to herself. She bent down and picked up her Silence Glaive before continuing toward the park's exit.

* * *

Once everyone was inside Makoto's apartment and settled in once again. Haruka looked at Setsuna and said exactly what was on her mind, "You knew this would happen. Didn't you?"

"Don't say it like I wanted this to happen. I knew we needed to find Rei as soon as possible and if we didn't…" Setsuna said, trailing off at the end.

"Don't fight…please." Usagi pleaded, her voice hoarse from her previously shed tears and new ones starting to form.

Haruka looked downcast as she looked at Usagi, "I'm sorry."

"What exactly  _did_  happen to Rei? What would prompt her to attack us?" Ami asked.

Setsuna sighed before speaking, "All of you are aware of offensive and defensive types of magic, but magic isn't limited to those types. There are types of magic that can heal and there is magic that can do far worse to you than simply injuring you physically. If one knows how, they can affect another in such a way that that person will no longer be him or herself any more."

"What exactly are you saying, Setsuna?" Usagi asked, afraid of what sagely woman was saying.

"A long time ago, we used to teach a spell that allowed its caster to alter another's memory. In the past, it was used most often to keep secret mission, secret. I believe…or rather I know this is what has happened to Rei." Setsuna said and waited for the inevitable response from the group.

"But there must be a way to reverse it though…" Minako began, but trailed off upon seeing Setsuna's grim expression.

"This isn't something that can be easily reversed." Setsuna said quietly.

"But it can be, right?" Minako asked. Setsuna responded by nodded her head slowly.

"So how do we reverse it then?" Makoto asked.

"It's not that simple. As we speak, Saturn is most likely trying to appeal to Rei, but that won't work." Setsuna said pessimistically.

"Why not?" Ami asked.

"Because there are only three ways to reverse this spell and that is not a possible way. She'd be asking for Rei free herself and I'm afraid without outside help she can't break free on her own." Setsuna explained.

"Then, what are the three ways?" Michiru asked.

"The first way is for the caster of the spell to release the person affected of their free will." Setsuna explained

"I don't think that's an option." Haruka commented

"It isn't." Setsuna said grimly.

"What's the second way?" Makoto asked.

"The second way is for the Queen to perform the proper counter-spell to reverse the memory loss." Setsuna explained again.

"Wait a second…Usagi is the future Queen, can't she…" Ami said, but didn't finish when she noticed Setsuna was shaking her head slowly.

"No, she doesn't have that kind of knowledge yet and she won't until she ascends to the throne. This is something that's impossible to ask her to do." Setsuna said.

"And the third way?" Minako asked.

"The third and final way is…death." Setsuna said bleakly, hoping everyone understood what she meant without further explaining.

"So, all we have to do is take out this Kei person?" Haruka reasoned.

Setsuna shook her head, "No. Even if Kei were to die, the spell would remain." Setsuna was silent and waited for what she implied to sink in. She cast her eyes downward as a dark shadow passed over everyone's eyes.

"That's unacceptable!" Usagi said and stood up.

Setsuna's eyes focused in on Usagi, "It is said that just before one dies, their life flashes before their very eyes. This is the only other way. In that instant before death, Rei will be herself once more and she'd be able to rest in peace."

"You can't seriously be telling me Rei has to die!" Usagi said in a state of shock.

"Would you rather she remained like we saw her tonight?" Setsuna asked serious.

Usagi's eyes widened and she fell back on to the loveseat was sitting on, with Mamoru. She wanted to cry, but the tears refused to come. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't find her voice. She wanted to do something, anything than remain where she was, but her body was numb and unresponsive. How could things turn out like this?

The room fell deathly silent for an indiscriminate amount of time, until it was broken by the loud knocking on Makoto's apartment door, startling everyone in the room. Makoto stood up wordlessly and walked to the entrance to her home. She didn't even look to see who was at the door before opening the door. Once the door was opened she was met by a very tired looking Hotaru. The young girl stumbled a little as she tried to step into the other girl's apartment, but Makoto caught her, before she could fall, "Hotaru, what…" Makoto began to asked, but the other girl cut her off.

"Help me go to where everyone is." She said and leaned more heavily onto the taller brunette. With Makoto's help, Hotaru walked into the room everyone was in, to the surprised of everyone, and announced, "There's still hope for Rei to return to normal."

* * *

"Why didn't you finish that Sailor Senshi off?" Ryuji asked.

"I have my reasons. Besides, I thought the Sailor Senshi were mine." Mars responded sharply.

"Oh they are, just do the job right next time." Ryuji said.

"Fine, just leave me be." Mars said and walked off, not waiting for a response.

Mars went down one of the many near empty hallways; there were few youma around the place anymore since most were killed in action. All the higher-level youma were eliminated, except for Ryuji. So, the only youma remaining were underlings and no threat to her, so she walked down the corridors with confidence. 'Why did I stop? I had the prefect opportunity…' she thought when same foggy image of a girl entered her mind. Her left hand went instantly to her forehead, she braced herself with her other hand against the wall. 'My head…it's throbbing…' She thought, whatever the image she was seeing, it was having a bad effect on her. "Damn it! Why won't it stop?" She cursed and slammed her fist as hard as she could into the wall. The force of her punch completely leveled the wall.

'Am I still being affected by that trick?' She asked herself when the young Sailor Senshi's words from earlier echoed in her mind.

' _You've been fooled!_ '

'I haven't been…I would be able to tell if she was being dishonest.' Diana thought and recalled the uneasy feeling ever since she woke up. She chalked it up to youma infesting the place, but she needed to be sure. So with a determined look on her face, she walked ahead to speak with Kei, 'I will discover the truth of things…'

* * *

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my word, Usagi-san." Hotaru as she sat down with the help of Makoto and Michiru. When she was seated Hotaru let go of her left arm, which she had been cradling close to her body; revealing a nasty looking bruise on her forearm.

"My God, Hotaru! Your arm!" Ami said quickly knelt down beside the dark haired girl and started to inspect the broken limb.

"It's fine." Hotaru said simply.

"Did…did Rei d-do that to you?" Usagi asked on the verge of tears, as her hand covered her mouth.

"It's really not that bad. I could have healed it myself if I didn't rush over here." Hotaru said as she tried to pull her arm away from Ami but winced at the pain it caused, so she just let Ami do her thing.

"So, Rei did do all of this to you?" Haruka asked, already knowing the answer, but she still needed to hear her fellow outer senshi say it.

"She isn't at fault for this. If Pluto explained everything, you'd understand that already." Hotaru said seriously and looked from Haruka to Setsuna.

"I already explained what has happened to Rei." Setsuna said quietly.

"Good, then why don't we tell them everything that has happened up to this point?" Hotaru said, still looking at Setsuna.

"Shouldn't it wait until you have this taken care of?" Ami asked.

"This is more important." Hotaru said and looked down at Ami with a very serious expression.

Ami sighed, "Alright, I can't force you."

"Thank you, I appreciate your concern, but it's not necessary." Hotaru said and rested her right hand over her left arm.

"We're all ears Hotaru." Mamoru said.

Hotaru glanced at the Prince and nodded, "There are certain things that have been deemed unquestionable and for someone to question the unquestionable they would incur the wrath of the Gods." Hotaru paused and looked at Minako for moment before continuing, "Rei is someone who questioned the unquestionable."

Minako's eyes widened and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears, 'Oh, God…don't tell me…' Minako felt like she was going hyperventilate, when she caught Makoto's eyes on her. The blonde hid her previous state of anxiety as best she could in order to prevent questions from the brunette.

"What are you trying to say Hotaru? What could Rei have questioned that would have prompted this?" Usagi asked unconsciously.

"It's not my place to say." Hotaru said quietly. "I can say that it's at this point…" Hotaru paused and looked at Setsuna, "You were called on to fully your role, by calling Mamoru-san back to Tokyo."

Everyone, Mamoru included, looked shocked by Hotaru's statement. Usagi looked at Mamoru questioningly, "What is Hotaru talking about?"

Mamoru looked at Usagi as he said, "I received a letter at the hotel I was staying at that you were in danger and I needed to return. I didn't know whether the letter was true or not, but I couldn't risk it, so I return to Japan. I never spoke to Setsuna though." Mamoru looked at Hotaru and asked, "How do you know all of this?"

"I was shown all of it, mainly through dreams as I started to age rapidly." Hotaru explained. "Everything to this point has lead to my premature awakening. I am the Guardian of death and as its guardian this crisis that has arisen has called to me. I can not allow the unnecessary death of a fellow Sailor Senshi."

Usagi eyes lit up upon hearing what Hotaru said and at the same time she remembered what Hotaru had said when she first stepped into the room, "How do we get Rei back?"

"When I told everyone to leave earlier, I did that because I had to try something first…before…falling back on our final hope." Hotaru said and lowered her head, "But I failed." Hotaru was silent for a moment before taking deep breath and speaking again, "Now there is only one way…or rather one person that can return Rei to herself." Hotaru looked straight at the Princess of the Moon and added, "Usagi-san, you must become Sailor Moon's true form."

* * *

"Ryuji, how did things go?" Kei said and inched up on her seat.

"Things appeared to be going smoothly, until another Sailor Senshi showed up." Ryuji said.

'There aren't…' Kei started to think when she remembered something Pluto told her and her eyes widened. "The planet…what was the planet of the new Sailor Senshi?"

"Saturn."

'Since we're still alive, she didn't use her power, but…' Kei's thoughts were cut short when she heard knocking at her door. She turned to Ryuji and said, "If you would be so kind as to let our guest in."

Ryuji nodded and walked to the door, knowing they would continue their conversion afterwards. When the youma opened the door, he saw Diana waiting impatiently. She stepped into the room, without waiting for Ryuji to say anything, but after she had past him he muttered, sarcastically, "Come in, why don't you?"

A moment later Ryuji felt an intense heat to his back and he froze, "I know you were there, so you know how easily I killed that other youma…do you want to be next?"

"Now…now…we mustn't fight amongst ourselves." Kei said as she walked up to Diana and Ryuji. Ryuji could feel the heat was gone after Kei approached so he turned around and watched Kei step up to Mars. "Tell me what it was like seeing your former teammates once more?" Kei asked.

"I have a few questions for you actually." Mars said and undid her transformation.

"Please, feel free to ask away." Kei said with a smile and ushered Diana to follow her deeper into the room.

"Why is it that the Sailor Senshi I fought with, refused to fight with me?"

Kei shrugged and sat down again, "I don't know. Perhaps, she was trying to play some kind of mind game with you?"

"Why would the same Sailor Senshi claim that I had been brainwashed?" Diana asked.

"Brainwashed? What other kind of nonsense were you told?" Kei asked and laughed off the question.

"If I discover that you've been deceiving me…I'll make you live to regret it." Diana declared dangerously.

"I can assure you that I have not done anything to deceive you." Kei said and stood up once more. She walked toward Diana and said, "I've hidden nothing of my intentions and I didn't force you to work with me, you did that of your own free will. Have  _I_ , at any time, given you reason not to trust me?"

"No." Diana replied quietly.

"Exactly, but I'm not upset by it or anything. I guess I should have expected them to try to fool you. What I find most distressing is that you are allowing yourself to be fool by them." Kei said and shook her head.

"You say that too?" Diana commented.

" _Too_?" Kei questioned.

"Never mind." Diana said simply. 'Hearing voices is bad enough, but agreeing with them and bring them up in a real conversation is insane. I think I just need to rest.' She thought and looked at Kei. "That's all wanted to know." Diana said and began to walk out of the room, when another question struck her. "Who is Usagi?" Diana and winced after simply saying the name.

"The name doesn't ring a bell." Kei said calmly and watched Diana leave. "Ryuji, I want you to keep an even closer eye on her. There has been a most disturbing turn of events." Kei added after the door closed.

"Mars doubting you?" Ryuji questioned.

"Not just that…a troublesome person has shown up…Sailor Saturn." Kei said in annoyance.

"Why is that?" The youma asked.

"With one swing of her weapon, she could end everything. Plus, I've never even seen a Sailor Saturn before. Her very existence is said to spell the end of the world."

"She didn't seem all that strong to me." Ryuji commented.

"Don't under estimate your enemies!" Kei yelled causing Ryuji to step away from her. "If things become too unfavorable for the Princess, she can end everything, everything I've worked so hard for. I don't know what her intensions are, but she is someone that must be eliminated. She's a high grade threat that can't be ignored."

"How would ending everything be beneficial to the Princess and the Sailor Senshi?" Ryuji asked.

Kei glared at the youma for a moment, but proceeded to explain anyway, "Every Sailor Senshi has a title that symbolizes the elements they control. Mars is the senshi of flame and spirit, Venus is the senshi of light and emotion, Mercury is the senshi of ice and intelligence, Jupiter is the senshi of nature and lightning, Uranus is the senshi of wind and sky, Neptune is the senshi of water and sea, Pluto is the senshi of revolution and time, and Saturn is the senshi of…death and rebirth."

"Death and rebirth?" Ryuji repeated.

"Yes. Now that you know that, you must understand why she can't be ignored." Kei said and Ryuji nodded.

* * *

"Hotaru, that isn't meant to happen yet." Setsuna spoke up.

Hotaru turned to the senshi of time, "If you're going by the timeline you knew, I shouldn't even be here right now and none of this should have happened. If all this isn't a sign that some things have been done…that some things have been changed, that can't be undone; I don't know what is. Furthermore, you know as well as I do that me being here, right now, is a sign that it  **is**  time."

"What you're talking about requires the power of every Sailor Senshi, Mars included. It can't happen without Mars." Setsuna said.

Hotaru was about to counter Setsuna once more when Usagi spoke instead, "If this is what must be done to bring Rei back to normal, we'll do it. But Hotaru, what you mean by Sailor Moon's true form?"

Hotaru smiled at Usagi and took a deep breath before starting her explanation, "Every form you've taken till now has been to ready your body to handle this final, true form of Sailor Moon; Eternal Sailor Moon. If you would have attempted to become Eternal Sailor Moon any time before now, the strain on your body would have been so great; it would have most likely killed you. Even now, there will be a great strain on you to hold this form for any longer than a minute."

Everyone seemed to show a little uneasiness after Hotaru's explanation, except Usagi. "It doesn't matter, even if my body breaks after thirty seconds, I'll bring Rei back to normal."

'She still as reckless as I remember.' Hotaru thought as she looked at Usagi.

"I'm still opposed, it's too dangerous." Setsuna said.

"This is Usagi-san's choice and when the time comes, it's your duty to give Usagi-san your strength as well." Hotaru said.

"How soon do you think we can try this?" Haruka asked.

"It'll take time. All of us need to be there and all of us need to be in good physical condition, otherwise it would be too draining on us as well." Hotaru explained.

"Plus, we need to make sure Rei doesn't run away." Ami added.

"That won't be a problem when the time comes." Hotaru said cryptically.

"Now that we have a plan, we should each probably get some rest. I think all of us can agree that this has been one very long day." Mamoru suggested. After a moment the group agreed, it was getting later and Mamoru was defiantly right about it being a long day.

"Let's meet again tomorrow afternoon, here…if that's okay with you, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked and looked at Makoto.

"It's fine by me." She agreed and everyone got up.

"Minako, could hang around a little longer? I wanted to ask you something." Makoto asked and while Minako seemed reluctant she nodded he head. Ami looked back at the two girls for second, but continued to walk to the exit.

Hotaru walked over to Usagi as she was almost out the door and grabbed the blonde's arm. Usagi turned and looked at Hotaru, "Usagi-san you need to know that right now Rei-san… **our**  Rei is in a very dark place and  _only_  your light has any hope to bringing her back."

Usagi nodded and hugged the shorter girl, "Thank you. I won't forget and I won't fail Rei." Hotaru nodded in response and Usagi released the dark haired girl and left behind Mamoru and Ami.

"Come on, shorty." Haruka said and messed up Hotaru's hair as she walked out with Michiru and being followed slowly by Setsuna. Hotaru hurried to catch up as Makoto closed the door after everyone exited.

* * *

"Minako, do you know something that the rest of us don't?" Makoto asked and waited for an answer.

"It's not my place to say."

"That's the same thing Hotaru said, what do you know Minako? Tell me something." Makoto asked.

" _Tell you something_?  _Tell you something_? Alright, I'll  _tell_  you something. Stop foolishly denying your feelings! Go and talk to Ami!" Minako yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Makoto asked, confused by her friend's strange behavior.

"Damn it, Makoto! Did you understand a word Hotaru said? Because of Rei's situation she isn't allowed to love!" Minako yelled as she tried to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill out.

"Minako, what are you saying…"

"You don't have something like that holding you back like she did. I'm the senshi of love, don't you think I can feel when one of my friends is in love" Minako said.

Makoto just looked at her blonde friend with a confused look, 'In love?'

"Kami-sama, you don't even realize you're in love, do you? Haven't you even wondered why you've always felt so strongly connected to her?"

"I-I never really thought about it…" Makoto said.

"Maybe you should then!" Minako shouted and ran out of the other girl's apartment, leaving a bewildered Makoto alone in her apartment.

* * *

"That's looking much better." Michiru commented as she gestured toward the younger girl's arm.

"I was slowly healing it as we talked inside." Hotaru explained and moved her arm around as if to prove it was back to normal.

"So, do you need me to give you a ride back home?" Haruka asked.

"I don't have much of a home to go back to." Hotaru said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Michiru asked quickly.

"Well, my father passed away." Hotaru said and looked down at her feet as she walked.

"What? When did that happen?" Setsuna asked, clearly not expecting that information, much to the surprise of Haruka and Michiru.

"A short time after I reached the age you see now. Papa passed away because he was possessed by that daimon for so long, his body never really recovered from it." Hotaru said and stopped next to Haruka's convertible.

"I'm so sorry Hotaru." Michiru said quietly.

Hotaru smiled sadly, "Its ok, at least I was able to remember everything before he died. I remembered the good…and the bad, but I'm glad I did because now I have friends and a new family. I am a Sailor Senshi and now I know have mission I need to accomplish."

"What do you mean 'new family'?" Haruka asked cautiously.

"I hope you don't think it presumptuous of me, but I thought I could stay with you three." Hotaru said. The three older outer senshi looked at one another to see what each thought of the idea. "I understand if you guys don't want..."

"It's fine by me." Haruka said and added in a whisper, "We  _will_  have to be quieter at night though…"

"Ruka!" Michiru chastised the blond and hit her on the arm.

The comment didn't go unnoticed by Hotaru, who was currently blushing a bright scarlet. 'I guess it's stuff like this, I'm going to have to get used to.' The young girl thought as she watched the couple.

Setsuna for her part didn't show any sign of whether she heard the comment or not. Perhaps it was from hearing frequent comments similar to it or because she had something else on her mind, it was unknown.

Haruka cleared her throat, "Umm…what I wanted to say was; it's the least we can do after you save our butts back there."

"I only did what I had to." Hotaru said modestly and bowed her head as she added, "But thank you for allowing me into your home."

Hotaru raised her head when she felt a hand on her shoulder, "That home, is all of ours now." Michiru said and smiled warmly.

"Come on, Sets…" Haruka started say when she realized the green haired woman was no longer with them.

"I guess she plans on getting home on her own." Michiru commented and moved the passenger seat forward, motioning for Hotaru to get in. Once the dark haired girl was inside, she moved the seat back and got in herself.

"Yeah, I just wish she'd give us some warning when she does that kind of stuff." Haruka said and got into the driver's seat, turning on the car once she was seated.

"She's probably going to confirm what she already knows…" Hotaru mumbled under her breath.

"What was that, Hotaru?" Michiru asked, looking over her shoulder into the back seat.

Hotaru shook her head, "Nothing."

"What do you say we head home? We've got a lot of work ahead of us." Haruka said and received a nod from her two companions, so she pulled away from the curb and began the drive home.

End Ch. 26

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally bring Hotaru into this and with that comes a little more explanation.


	27. Confession

Chapter 27 – Confession

* * *

Makoto groaned as the new day's sun shined on her face and covered her eyes with her forearm. She found sleep had eluded her most of the night, so she wanted to salvage even the last few minutes, even though she realized the futility in her efforts. She had to get up and get ready for another school day. The brunette finally decided she'd delayed the inevitable long enough and kicked off her blankets.

Makoto sat up and got out of bed, stretching as soon as her feet touched the ground. She lethargically walked the restroom across the hall from her bedroom. She walked over to the sink and turned the water on. She let it run for a few seconds before putting her hands under the flowing water. Makoto cupped her hands to get her and collected water, which she promptly splashed on her face. She reached for the left wall and grabbed a towel, which she used to dry her face.

The tall brunette looked into the mirror above the sink as Minako's words from the night before rang through her head for thousandth time.

' _Stop foolishly denying your feelings!_ '

The blonde had really lashed out at her and good or bad it got her thinking; hence her insomnia filled night. Makoto hadn't really thought about any of the stuff the blonde brought up. 'Sure, she feels closer to her blue haired friend than her other friends, but that only made them best friend's right? Sure, she likes spending time with Ami, but that only meant she enjoyed the other girl's company, right? Sure, she worries about her when she gets hurt when fighting a youma, but that only meant she was a concerned friend, right? Sure, she feels happy inside whenever Ami smiles, but that's…that's just being a good friend. Sure, she feels a ting of jealousy whenever Ami's attention is on someone else, but that's…that's…a little more possessive than a friend should be. Sure, she felt something whenever they touched, but that…that didn't mean…did it?' Makoto sighed; she didn't know what to think anymore.

The brunette shut off the water, when she realized it was still running and walked back to her bedroom. She sat on her bed and continued thinking, 'I'm not like that…I-I like guys…'

' _I'm the senshi of love, don't you think I can feel when one of my friends is in love_.'

'Love?' Makoto didn't think that was an emotion you had to be  _told_  you felt. Minako was very serious last night, she understood that. She also understood that she felt different about Ami than she did anyone else she'd known. She'd had crushes before her 'sempai' at her old school, but that never went any where because he was too intimidated by her stature. There was Motoki at the Crown, but he already had a girlfriend. And Haruka… Makoto blushed a little as she recalled her fascination with the tall blonde, but that more admiration on her part than romantic feelings, after all Haruka has Michiru.

'With Ami, she hit it off with her immediately. She wasn't turned off by her height and she isn't in a relationship.' Makoto told herself.

' _Kami-sama, you don't realize you're in love, do you_?'

Even with her playful nature, Minako wasn't one to throw a word like 'love' around so frequently without some real proof. Even with all the swooning she did over various guys, Makoto didn't really have a great deal of experience with love. After a long night of thinking she'd come to realize she did care about her blue haired friend a lot, more than she'd even considered until Minako said the things she said.

Was she attracted to the other girl though? That should come with romantic feelings, right? Again, the brunette hadn't looked at Ami like that. 'She is pretty, her short hair frames her face nicely, and she has a nice figure.' Makoto admitted. 'Their sailor fukus really left little to the imagination.' She thought, picturing Ami in her blue uniform, causing herself to blush and finally she let the reality hit her.

"Oh my God, I do have feelings for Ami!" Makoto shouted to the empty room.

Makoto blushed and covered her mouth, out of embarrassment mostly, 'I don't know how Ami feels though…' Makoto closed her eyes for a moment and stood up, before proceeding to her closet and grabbing her school uniform, 'I guess there's really only one way to find that out.' She thought and laid her uniform on her bed and went back to her bathroom for a quick shower, knowing Ami left early for school everyday.

* * *

'I promised myself that I wouldn't return here until I was sure I could rely on what I see, but I can't remain hesitant.' Pluto thought as she stood on a foggy plain, in front of three large doors. Pluto slowly approached the door right and laid her free hand upon it. 'Are you still there or have you been irreversibly altered?' Pluto thought before stepping away from it. She closed her eyes and raised her Time Staff in the air. Uttering a few words, she brought the staff down to the ground. A loud clang rang out and a creaking sound could be heard as the large doors before Pluto slowly began to open.

Pluto watched as the doors opened fully, allowing her entrance, 'Please let it be something good to strive for…' she thought and stepped forward into the newly opened gate, the doors shutting behind her as she entered it.

* * *

Ami was already busy preparing her uniform for the day before she took a shower. She'd gotten up as she usually did, very early, well before the sun rose. Once she had everything she'd need situated the blue haired girl made her way to the bathroom down the hall for her shower. She was surprised when she heard the front door open, so she bypassed the bathroom for a moment to investigate. As she grew closer she heard the sound of keys rattling, a bag being place down, and a voice to accompany all the sounds, "Ami, are you awake?"

A smile formed on her face as she made her way quicker to the front door, "Mom, I thought you didn't get off until later this afternoon?"

"After a rough all-nighter and the rest of the staff told me to go home and get some rest." She replied and held up the bag she had previously placed on the table beside her. "I thought we could have breakfast together before I get some rest."

"Sure, I just need to take a shower first." Ami said and turned around went back to her original destination.

After Ami had finished her shower she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom to go back into her bedroom and change into her school uniform. She quickly changed and left her room to join her mother for breakfast. As she walked up to the table looked over everything set on the table, "Wow, everything looks delicious. Where'd you get all this at?"

"Just a little place near the hospital." Her mother remarked and motioned for Ami to sit down. The blue haired girl nodded and took her seat across from her mother.

Ami silently placed some steamed rice on her plate and grabbed a small bowl of natto. She proceeded to pour the contents of the bowl onto her rice and stirred the two together with her chopsticks. Ami took a few bites before going back to stirring the contents on her plate again.

Mizuno-san watched her daughter as she seemingly played with her food for the most part rather than eating it. 'She seemed like she want to eat.' She thought. She also didn't expect them to sit there in silence, they usually talked over dinner or in this case breakfast, mostly because they didn't see each other all that much with her hectic work schedule. All this together started to concern her a little, "Ami, is everything alright?"

"Huh, I'm fine." Ami said not very convincingly and she went back to poking at her food.

"Are you sure? You've barely eaten anything." Mizuno-san said motioning to Ami's still full plate.

"I guess I'm just not very hungry." Ami said quietly. She wanted to act as though everything was the same, but she found she had too much on her mind. 'Maybe I shouldn't have sounded as eager to eat.' One of her friends tried to kill her and her other friends and with all the stuff Hotaru had said; it was a lot to take in.

Mizuno-san looked at her daughter sadly. She'd been acting strangely for a few days now and she was really starting to get worried. Something had to be troubling her; she could see that, 'Maybe she got into a fight with one of her friends? Maybe a fight with that Makoto girl Ami is always going on about? I'm sure something like that would upset her like this.' She thought. Mizuno-san decided to go ahead and take the initiative, "Did you get into a fight with one of your friends?" she asked carefully.

Ami frowned at her mother's question, "Something like that."

"Was it Makoto?" Mizuno-san asked cautiously.

"Makoto! Why would you think that?" Ami said quickly.

'It wasn't a fight with Makoto?' she thought surprised to hear that, but from way Ami responded she could tell what ever it was it didn't have anything to do with that friend. "Oh I'm sorry Ami; I just assumed it had to do with her. You seem to be closest to her and I just thought that was why you have been acting so depressed."

"Makoto is important to me, but what happened didn't have anything to do with her." Ami said.

"Who then?" Mizuno-san asked.

"I really don't want to talk about it mom, I'm sorry." Ami said.

"Well, I can't force you to tell me anything, but I do hope whatever issues you currently have with this friend are resolved soon." Mizuno-san said sincerely.

"Thanks mom. May I be excused? I should be leaving for school." Ami asked.

"You're sure you don't want to eat anymore?" she asked and Ami shook her head no, "Alright, I'll save some stuff in the fridge if you are hunger when you get home from school."

"Thanks." The blue haired girl said and got up and went to her to get her school bag, before leaving for school.

* * *

The double doors from which Pluto had recently entered began to open once more and after a moment, a very distressed looking senshi of time emerged from the opened doors. When Pluto cleared the doors she struck her Time Staff to the ground and the door behind began to shut.

'How can this be? Have I been away so long that timeline has been so altered?' The dark haired woman thought and lowered her head. She'd never, in her many years, been in the position she was currently in. She was supposed to know the proper path to take and even if she couldn't out right tell everyone what to do, she could hint that certain things would be better to do than others. Pluto gripped her staff tighter and raised her head as she recalled of what the young senshi of death and rebirth said.

' _If you're going by the timeline you knew, I shouldn't even be here right now and none of this should have happened. If all this isn't a sign that some things have been done…that some things have been changed, that can't be undone; I don't know what is. Furthermore, you know as well as I do that me being here, right now, is a sign that it_ _ **is**_ _time_.'

'She's right, things have changed and depending upon what happens, the future will take one course or another and at the moment neither is very appealing. If Rei loses her life here, Crystal Tokyo will fail. If Rei survives and we're able to return her to normal, Crystal Tokyo's existence is still in question. It's a catch-22…' The senshi of time thought and brought her hand up to her chin and stood silently in thought. She closed her eyes and sighed sadly, 'There is only one way to stop all of this from happening now then…' Pluto thought and looked the large gate to her far left.

Pluto repeated the same process she had done in front of the gate to the future, with the gate to past. Again when her staff hit the floor, the doors answered her call, by opening for her. Pluto took a deep breath and stepped through the opened gate. She heard the gate close behind her loudly, but she disregarded the noise and continued forward, into the foggy darkness that lay in front of her. She knew these paths like that back of her hand, and where she was headed, she knew she would encounter another large doorway soon.

The closer she got to her destination she began to sense another presence. 'There shouldn't be anyone else here.' She thought and continuously made her way to the gate that leads directly into the past. The presence grew stronger as she closed in on the gate, telling her who ever it was; they were at the gate she was heading to. Pluto finally saw the gate, as well as something else. Someone was standing in front the gate. The person stood with their head lowered until Pluto was close enough to see the figure fully, at which time she raised her head.

"I've been waiting for you…" the woman said once she was sure Pluto was within earshot.

* * *

'I hope I can make it before she gets to school.' Makoto thought as she hurried toward Ami's house. The brunette was thankful that they didn't live too far away from each other, since that made it more likely she'd be able to catch the other girl before she got to school. She didn't want this wait until after school and she certainly didn't want do anything like this  **at**  school. 'People think were weird enough…' she thought and turned down Ami's street.

Honestly though, she didn't really care what other people thought about her, except her friends and she wasn't worried about what they'd think, except Ami, but that was for a different reason. Makoto counted the blocks in her head; she knew Ami lived on the fifth block, forth building, and second floor of that apartment. The brunette slowed her pace to just a little faster than a walk once she reached the fourth block; she'd left her house so quickly she realized she hadn't exactly thought about what exactly she planned on saying.

'Hey, Ami I know this might sound a bit abrupt, but think I like you…you know…more than a friend likes a friend.' Makoto said in her head. Sure, that would say what she wanted to say, but was that really how she wanted to say it. She'd seen plenty sappy romance movies before, so it shouldn't be so hard to think of a good romantic way to tell Ami how she feels about her. Makoto sighed, 'Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to just rush to her house without some kind of plan worked out in mind.'

She could feel some of her nerve leave her as she reached the street before Ami's block. 'Maybe I should go back home and write everything in a letter and give it to her at school.' The senshi of nature thought, but shook her head after a second of thought, 'No, that's cowardly…and Ami doesn't take love letters very well…' Without realizing it she had crossed the street and steadily getting closer to the apartment where Ami lived.

* * *

Ami sighed as she descended the stairs to the exit of her apartment; she'd missed a rare opportunity to speak with her mother. Had it been any other day, it would likely have been different, but she was preoccupied with other things. She was glad that her mother understood, though. She would have felt really bad, if she hadn't been. She was sure her mom realized she was acting unusual, mainly because of her bad attempt at acting like everything was fine. Ami sighed again as she reached the bottom of the stairs and walked to the door. As the blue haired girl stepped out the front door the apartment complex she lived, she spotted a sight she hadn't expected, standing just outside the gate of building, seemingly deep in thought, because she didn't notice her approaching at all.

"Mako-chan!" Ami exclaimed to the brunette in front of her apartment.

* * *

"Why do you block my way to the past…Serenity?" Pluto asked.

"Because I don't want you to do something you're going to regret, Kam…no…Setsuna." The woman said and held her ground.

"Does you're coming here have something to do with my daughter?" She asked quietly.

"Yes." Pluto replied.

The other woman looked Pluto in her eyes and shook her head when she realized, "You've come to kill your former pupil."

Pluto was surprised to hear her state it so directly, but she nodded her head slowly in response, "I've come to rectify my mistake."

The woman shook her head slowly once again, "I can't allow you to do that."

"Why?" the senshi of time questioned.

"For the same reason she wasn't executed for what she did. The same people, who called for her to be trained, called for her death and while execution would have been justifiable for her actions, I don't believe in killing humans even in that case. There should always be room for redemption and so I sealed her away rather than ending her life." Serenity explained.

"But that was only a temporary solution. She is once again bringing pain to your daughter. She is…" Pluto stopped when she saw Serenity raise her hand, signaling for her stop.

"And you know she was different at one time. I know you would have never trained her if you thought she was capable of all that she did." Serenity said and took a deep breathe. "You didn't make the wrong decision back then. She didn't change like she did by chance."

"What are you saying?" Pluto asked.

"It was wrong of us to ignore the problems outside our solar system. There  _were_  and still  _are_  greater threats from outside our solar system. It could be that a certain threat was closer than we realized." Serenity said cryptically.

"What is Kei then?" Pluto asked.

"She's simply a lesser threat of a far greater evil." The silver haired woman said.

"A  _greater evil_? You mean…?"

"The final most deadly obstacle…is drawing closer to my daughter. There is still time, but not much. When that time comes she will need all of her soldiers…Mars included."

Pluto closed her eyes and lowered her head, "You're telling me that we must succeed in bringing back Mars."

Serenity remained silent and simply stared back at Pluto, but finally when Pluto didn't say anything she spoke once more, "You know what I'm saying without my confirmation."

"You know the future will be irrevocably changed. Mars will not keep her feelings to herself afterwards."

"Is it right to expect her to?" She asked, but Pluto remained silent. "It was inevitable, such fires can not be snuffed out by the passage of time…you are aware of that."

Pluto bit down lightly on her lower lip and quietly said. "Indeed…"

Serenity was thinking silently and decided to change her line of speech away from talking about the ageless woman in front of her, "I was forced to not allow my daughter to live her life freely and I regret that. Whether she bows down to destiny or not, I want that to be her choice this time."

"Even with what that could mean for the future…"

"I believe my daughter will have a bright future." She stated calmly.

"But what about…"

"I'm sure you already looked into what the future holds at the present's current state." Serenity said and looked questioningly at Pluto, who nodded her head after a few seconds. "You should know there is still hope. You can't run your life by what you've seen of the future. I never wanted to know the future, I asked for guidance in some matters, but I didn't allow myself to know too much nor did I want you to. However, I believe since my time ended you allowed yourself to become  _too_  knowledgeable."

The green haired woman looked downward, almost apologetically, "I didn't want another catastrophe to go unnoticed by me again."

"You needn't engross yourself in the Gates to have knowledge of what to do in the future. What you see in the future shouldn't be the basis for  _all_  your actions." Serenity said quietly.

"Then why did you always come to me? Even though you knew I could be giving you poor advice." Pluto asked.

"I trusted you. Not because you could see the possible futures. I trusted  **you**  because you were an important friend whose opinions I valued. Was it wrong of me to want to hear your opinion on state matters as well other…nonpolitical matters?"

A faint pink tinged Pluto's cheeks and she turned away from Serenity, "If you'd have allowed me…we could have prevented…"

"Do you know why I gave my life so that my daughter and everyone could have another chance at life?" Serenity asked Pluto. The senshi of time studied the silver haired woman for a few minutes and shook her head. Yes, she had an idea, but she wanted to hear it from her queen or rather her former queen's own lips. "More than anything, I wanted them to live their lives freely, my daughter especially." Serenity said and paused, "It was cruel of me to take my daughter's happiness away from her despite the pressure I felt from the other planets."

"You avoided war." Pluto reasoned.

"By disregarding my only daughter's feelings." Serenity countered quickly. She sighed and looked away from Pluto before continuing, "I'm sorry, but I'll never forgive myself for caving in under that pressure. Because I took that choice away from her in the past I want her to freely choose what she wants this time." She turned back to the time senshi and added, "I would like for you to let everything unfold how it will."

"That is what you wish me to do?" Pluto asked.

The former queen of the moon nodded, "It is."

The green haired woman sighed, "I shall do as you wish then."

"Thank you." Serenity said and paused, "It might be about time for you to return."

"You're right, but before I return to the present, will you tell me something?" Pluto looked at Serenity for her answer. When she saw a slight nod of her head she spoke again, "How is it… _exactly_ …that you are here?" Pluto asked and knelt on one knee.

The silver haired woman watched as Pluto dropped to a knee before her, she sighed and crouched down in front of the senshi of time, "Since this place exists outside of space and time, I'm able to be here, in spirit only." She extended her hand toward Pluto's cheek, but her hand merely pasted right through her, "You see, I have no body in this world."

"Why have you never appeared here before then?" Pluto questioned.

Serenity smiled, "I can not do this easily, but I needed to stop you from making a mistake."

"Thanks for stopping me." Pluto said seriously. "You're still watching over us, even now."

The other woman simply smiled, "I'm sure your fellow outers are waiting for your return."

Setsuna nodded and turned back the same way she came, "I do wish for Usagi to be happy, but I always pushed for her choice a secure…a known future. It seems in doing that I may have been doing the opposite."

"She'll hold no ill-will towards you. She'll understand you've always had the best of intention at heart."

Pluto lowered her head and started walking, "She has too pure of a soul, for her own good some times."

* * *

Makoto grabbed her chest as her heart pounded furiously against her rib cage. She turned towards the building she stood in front of and her eyes widened, "Ami!"

"You're out really early today. We don't usually run into each on our way to school." Ami said.

She had to will her heart to beat at a normal pace so it took Makoto a little longer then it normally would have to respond, but after a deep breath she said, "I'm glad I caught you before you made it to school."

Ami paled at that, immediately thinking the worst, "Oh no. What happened now?"

Makoto looked at the blue haired girl curiously, before a realization dawned on her. "No. No. It's nothing bad. That just didn't come out right. I'm just glad because I wanted to talk to you."

Now it was Ami's turned to look inquiringly at the other girl, "What is it?"

Makoto froze for moment, was this really how she wanted to go about this, talking to Ami about something this personally on the way to school? The brunette looked at her watch, 'There's still a little over an hour before school starts.' She thought.

Ami was getting a little worried at her friend's odd behavior, "Umm, Mako-chan?"

Makoto turned her attention to Ami quickly after her question, "I want to talk to you about something, but…"

"But what?" Ami asked, urging the other girl to continue.

"But, I'd like it if we could talk away from other people. We've still got a lot of time, so why don't we go some place quiet before school?"

Ami looked thoughtful for moment, "What about the school's roof?"

" _The school's roof_?"

"Yeah, no one's going to be there this early. It'd be private and we wouldn't far to go to get to class."

Makoto sweat-dropped at her friend's reasoning, but it did matter as long they wouldn't be interrupted. "Alright, let's get going."

* * *

The walk to school was uneventfully, as neither girl saw fit to start up a conversion. Ami because she was curious about what Makoto wanted to say and Makoto because she didn't want to let anything slip before she wanted it to. Any other conversion either could think of was too discouraging to discuss. Besides, there was going to be plenty of time to talk about Rei and their plans to bring her back later, during their senshi meeting.

The school grounds were rather empty, like Ami said it'd be. They both entered the school and proceeded to make their way upwards, to the roof. After a number of flights of stairs, they reached the door to roof. Makoto opened the door and motioned for Ami to go first. She thanked her stepped out on to the paved roof and waited for Makoto to join her. The taller girl followed Ami after a moment, shutting the door behind her. Out in the open again, Makoto felt herself getting nervous again.

Ami watched the Makoto, she'd known her for a long time and she could tell something was up, she just didn't know what yet. "Why are you so nervous?" Ami asked, cocking her head to the right slightly.

"N-Nervous? I'm not nervous." Makoto denied.

Ami eyed the other girl carefully, which only seemed to increase the brunette's nervous behavior, so she added, "You're fidgeting…are you sure it isn't something bad…?"

"I'm sure or at least I hope it isn't." The brunette responded.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking about some things…" Makoto said

"Like what?" Ami asked curiously.

"Well first, can you promise me that what I have to say, won't change how you feel about me."

"Mako-chan, why do you think anything you tell me can change how I feel about you?"

"Because, I have to tell you some thing that  _could_  really hurt our friendship." Makoto explained and looked away from her friend.

"What do you mean?"

Makoto took a deep breath and looked back at her companion 'now or never', "I like you Ami and after a lot of thinking, I think like you more than a friend likes a friend"

Ami stared at Makoto, wide eyed. She opened her mouth to form some kind of response. 'Did I really hear what I think I heard?' she asked herself. Finally willing the words to leave her lips, she asked, "You…you what?"

"I think…no…I'm sure, I've fallen in love you. I don't really know how, but I have." Makoto said and paused for a moment before adding, "I'm not asking anything of you or anything…I just want you to…mmph…"

Makoto eyes widened as she speech was unexpectedly cut off by the soft lips of her companion. The brunette stiffened at the contact and was so surprised it took her a few seconds to realize exactly what was happening. When her mind finally wrapped itself around the situation, she closed her eyes and returned the soft kiss in kind. To the two girls it felt as though time stood still for them, but reality set in as their lungs cried out for air. Although both wished for that moment to not end, the need for air out weighed their desire to continue their first kiss, and they were forced to separate.

Makoto pulled back a little from Ami, opened her eyes, and stared at the other girl. She grew a little concerned when she saw tears stained her companion's face, "Ami?"

"You don't know how long I've wanted hear you say that." The blue haired girl said and wrapped her arms around the taller brunette.

"Ami?" Makoto questioned as she held Ami as well.

Ami looked up at Makoto, "You mean the kiss wasn't enough to tell you? I feel the same as you do, I have for a while. I love you, Mako-chan." She said and leaned up to other girl, who in turn leaned down to meet her half way, but just as they were about to meet, the school bell rang out around them.

Both girls sighed and Makoto looked at a dejected Ami with a smirk, "You're the one who wanted to talk up here."

Ami blushed and grabbed Makoto's hand, "Come on, let's go to class." She looked back at Makoto as she said, "We can finish our talk later."

End Ch. 27

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So two people find their way to each other, after a push from Minako. Also of great importance is the conversation between Setsuna and Serenity. Really whenever Serentiy appears in my story its important.


	28. Doubt

Chapter 28 – Doubt

* * *

Diana paced the floor in front of the bed she'd just slept in. She hoped sleep would ease her mind, but it only seemed to have the opposite effect. When she slept she had dreams. Dreams about things she recalled and things she didn't. In the dreams she didn't recall as being from her memories, she felt as though she was in someone else's body. She dreamt of times of peace on what appeared to be Earth. In her dreams, she was friends with other girls, but there faces were never visible to her. She didn't know what to make of those dreams, especially the feelings they conjured up in her, despite being what they were…dreams.

Diana cursed and kicked the end board in frustration. Before fighting with the other Sailor Senshi she was sure of herself. Now…now she was just confused. Thinking about the other senshi filled her with mixed emotions; they were her friends at one time after all. She knew this was likely to happen, but it was different experiencing it.

She was angry at them, but after thinking through the night, she realized that after she learned everything, she really just wished to speak with them. She wanted to know their reasons, but when she finally came face to face with them she felt another part of her take over. It's that part inside of her that she could feel yearned for her to completely wipe them out. Fortunately, she didn't completely lose herself so she didn't kill that young senshi that she didn't even have cause to slay. Though she let the girl go and as a result she was left with more questions than answers.

Kei had an answer to every question Saturn brought up in her, except one, 'Who is Usagi?'

Diana knew that name held some meaning deep in her mind, but it was as though it wasn't accessible and that worried her. 'Why do I feel like this? How can I  _know_  and yet not know that name?' This made no sense to her no matter how much she thought about it. It seemed clear that Kei wasn't being honest about that then. That worried her even more because despite the confidence she had in her abilities she couldn't say that she detected dishonest in her voice. Of course, it was possible Kei really doesn't know such a person, but perhaps she does.

'I can't place my full trust in anyone. They haven't done enough to convince me of anything and I simply can't get over this feeling of abandonment.' She hated being in an unclear state of mind. She suddenly felt the urge to meditate…in front of a large fire. 'That's right; I can decipher things better in a meditative state in front of a fire.' It was something those of her planet could do, but everyone wasn't capable of it. Only those with a strong and pure spirit could truly succeed in using the fire.

'I need to find a room to meditate in, preferably one with some form of fire in it. Perhaps then, I will have a clearer look on things.' Diana looked around the room before closing her eyes for a moment. 'This room will not do…' The dark haired girl, started to walk toward the room's only door, 'I don't like the feel this room has; it suffocates me.'

Diana opened the door to her room and immediately came face to face with the youma that always seemed to be around Kei. She glared at the youma and said, "Would you mind getting out of my way?"

"Where exactly do you think you're going?" Ryuji asked with a snide smile.

"I do not need to answer to you. Now you'll stand aside, if you know what's good for you." Diana said and clenched right hand into a fist at her side.

"You get a little power and you start having delusions of grandeur."

Diana's gaze hardened further, "You wear my patience thin. I've put up with your disgusting presence thus far, but don't think that gives you the right to speak with me, let alone speaking to me in such a tone."

"It might be time to take you down a peg or two." Ryuji said and tightened his bulky fist in anticipation.

A smirk crossed Diana's face, "By you…I don't think so."

"That cocky attitude of you humans will be your undoing." He said and materialized his weapon in his hand.

"You want to die that badly…" Diana said and transformed. "I'd be happy to grant you that wish."

"Foolish human…" He muttered and charged the sailor senshi.

"Ryuji!"

The large youma froze upon hearing his name called. He turned to the source of the voice and wave of fear washed over him as he saw her face, "I can ex…" Ryuji was silenced by fist smashing into his face, sending him to the ground soundly.

Mars stood over the youma with a look of disgust, "Don't turn away me!" She knelt down next to him and reared her hand back once more. As her fist sped toward the youma again, she felt another hand grab hers, stopping it. Mars looked at the hand and followed it up its arm to its owner. "This isn't your concern Kei."

"I have to disagree. I'm sure you have your reasons, but I can't have you killing off all the youma I worked so hard to gather."

"Youma have no place here!" Mars said angrily.

"I've already explained to you their purpose. Until everything is finished they are needed." Kei explained.

"And this one…what does it matter if he dies?"

Ryuji was in the process of sitting up when Kei glared at him, "While he is  **stupid**  at times, he's been important to everything I've accomplished thus far because it has been in part thanks to him. However, he hasn't done all I need from him yet."

Mars looked the youma that was slowly inching away from her. His facial features were hard to see because his face was covered in a dark liquid, she presumed to be his blood. She felt a strong desire to beat that youma to the point where he'd be unrecognizable. She found her anger was hard to control, especially transformed, but it was obvious who won this fight so there was no need to prove herself further. Diana undid her transformation and Kei let go of her arm. She stood up and turned away from her two companions.

"I'm glad you understand." Kei said.

"I'll kill him the next time he raises a weapon at me." Diana said as she walked away.

"Where are you going?" Kei asked.

"To meditate." She said simply and continued walking.

Kei watched Diana leave before turning sharply to Ryuji. In the blink of an eye, Ryuji found a hand around his throat, slowly crushing his windpipe. Ryuji winced as he was forcefully pushed back into the wall behind him. "What part of  _watch_  did you not GET!" Kei said and lifted the youma off the ground, tightening her grip slightly in doing so. "She is not to be harmed until I get what I want from her! I thought I made myself clear to you on this!"

"…Y-Yes." The youma got out in raspy voice.

"Remember this feeling…this feeling of your life draining from your body, because if you disobey me on this I will ensure that you become  **very**  familiar with this feeling. Your death would be substantially more painful than anything you've experience in your life." Kei closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, "Are we clear?" she asked sounding much calmer.

Ryuji opened his mouth once, but nothing came out except for weak gasp. On his second try he finally managed to get the word out, "…Y-Yes…"

A smile spread across Kei lips as she said, "Very good." She opened her hand, freeing the youma from her grip. Ryuji fell hard to the ground and held his throat as he gasped for some much needed air. Kei stared down at the youma with a look of indifference, "Now if it isn't too much for you to handle, I want you to do the task I've assigned you."

After several more pants Ryuji stood up again and turned to Kei, "As you wish." He said and bowed slightly. He started to leave with his head still lowered, when Kei's voice stopped him.

"Ryuji, you know you're the only youma remaining with any real abilities…so don't make me waste your talents." Kei said, sounding apologetic to the unknowing ear.

The youma maintained his bow and said, "I understand."

"I'm glad we're seeing eye to eye once more, because there is still much we must do. First, you need to catch up with Mars and watch her. Keep me informed of what's happening. She mustn't learn anything that hurts our cause. It would only delay things further."

"I will do what I can." He said walked away slowly.

* * *

"So, Hotaru are going to school?" Michiru asked.

Hotaru looked a bit sheepish as she said, "No. I haven't gone to school since I went to Mugen Gakuen. I was aging too fast for it to be possible, but it seems that my aging has stopped now."

Michiru looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "We should get you enrolled some where then. Right Ruka?" The aquamarine haired woman turned to her partner as she addressed her.

Haruka nodded in agreement, "I think we'd have to. It's going to draw enough attention that a young girl is now leaving with us. It'd only draw more if she doesn't go to school."

"Is it really necessary?" Hotaru asked, remembering her experiences at Mugen, none of which she wished to happen again. Even though things were different now, namely she didn't have an alien inhabiting her body, but that didn't change how she remembered school to be.

"I think eventually it will be." Michiru answered.

"Indeed." A new voice in the room said. Setsuna walked into the dining room with a cup of coffee in hand and sat at the same table as the other three, beside Hotaru, who sat across from Michiru and Haruka.

"Where'd you go last night, Setsuna?" Haruka asked.

"I went to inspect the timeline again."

"And…?" Michiru voiced, hoping Setsuna would tell them more.

Setsuna sighed and glanced at the three others present at the table, "The future doesn't look very promising with the state the present is in right now. Our only option is to do as Hotaru said." Setsuna paused for moment, as if debating with herself over something. "The future is doomed without every Sailor Senshi alive. If we do save Rei though, the future becomes uncertain…clouded. I am certain that it will be a radically different future than we've known thus far."

The room was pregnant with silence for some time, as the three outer senshi took in the information the eldest senshi told them.  _Radically different_? Each thought about what such a statement from the senshi of time could mean. Fear gripped Hotaru's heart as she thought about a certain aspect of the future no longer existing. She wished she'd received some kind of indication that at least one major part of future remained definite, but even that seemed to be jeopardy now. 'I must remain stead fast in my beliefs.' She told herself and took a deep breath.

"Are we going to tell the inners this as well?" Hotaru asked.

"I think it best to hold off on that for now. I'd rather they just focus on helping Rei." Setsuna said as she looked at the young girl.

"Why the change of heart?" Haruka asked.

Setsuna looked directly at the sandy blond, "I wished to find another way, but there is nothing else. With the way the future looks now, I can't even tell if this will be successful. I wanted to prevent an unnecessary strain on Usagi's body. It could kill her…"

"I know it won't. She is ready." Hotaru interrupted. The three women looked at Hotaru's confident face and found it hard to  _not_  believe her.

"What kind of preparations do we need to do before we try this?" Michiru asked.

Hotaru glanced at Setsuna for a moment, as if see if she wanted to say, but she remained silent. Hotaru looked across the table to her other companions, "Now that we, soldiers of the outer solar system, are one once again, it's time we be given a stronger power."

* * *

School was far less eventful then their last school day. On their way to class, Ami and Makoto agreed to act as they normally would, or at least as close to that as they could, until they could talk in a more private setting. Of course, that didn't prevent them, particularly the blue haired girl, from receiving some very confused looks when she arrived in the class room just before the final bell.

Both Usagi and Minako were already seated and ready for class before either girl arrived. As time grew closer to the start of class, they started to worry. In fact, they were about to go look for them, thinking the worst, just when they arrived. After fielding several questions, about their late arrival, the issue was finally dropped when they told their two friends that they'd explain fully later, but it wasn't anything bad.

With the exception of the morning's interrogation, one thing was very noticeable through out the whole day, at least to the brunette of the group. Minako was avoiding her. The most obvious reason as to why, likely steamed from the previous night, but as it turned out, things worked out rather well. Of course Minako wasn't aware of that. Makoto did attempt to start up a conversation with her blonde haired friend on their lunch break, but Minako didn't give her the time because she changed the subject, giving her the feeling it would be easier to strike up a conversion with a wall than with her at the moment.

The classes after lunch flew by and before everyone knew it, the final bell resonated through the school, finally giving the students and a reprieve for the day. The sounds of students getting up and preparing their belongings into order to leave filled the room. Makoto leaned over to fetch her school bag from the side of her desk, when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. The brunette looked over shoulder and saw Minako staring back at her.

"Makoto…" Minako whispered as she lean up to speak into the other girl's ear.

Makoto observed her friend for a moment and saw her downcast expression. A look of concern crossed Makoto face as she replied, "Yeah?"

Minako looked at her hand for a second before look up to the brunette, but keeping her eyes from meeting the other girl's for any prolonged period of time. "Can we talk, alone?"

The taller girl blinked at her blond haired friend, she hadn't been acting like herself at all. Makoto was getting worried. Minako went off on her the previous night, but as it turned out things worked alright; better than she expected even. Did Minako want to talk to her about that or was it something else? There was only one way to know, "Sure. I'll just go tell Ami and Usagi go ahead of us"

Minako nodded and stayed at her desk as she finished collecting her things because by that time, both Ami and Usagi were already standing up from their seats. Makoto stood up and walked to the front of the classroom, "Hey Ami and Usagi, can you guys come here?"

The two girls made their way over to the other girl, both somewhat curious as to why she didn't call over Minako as well, "Do you think the both of you could go on ahead? Minako and I need to talk about something."

"About what?" Ami asked curiously.

"Nothing too important, I'm sure." Makoto said and smiled at the shorter girl. "I just think something's on her mind and she wants to talk about it."

Usagi looked past Makoto to the other blonde, "Come to think of it, she hasn't quite acted like herself today…"

"Exactly, and she said she talk to me about it." Makoto explained.

Usagi looked back to Makoto and said, "I'm glad she knows when she needs to talk to someone."

Ami looked at Minako for moment; she did seem to have something to get off her chest, "As am I." The blue haired girl's eyes again landed on the brunette in front of her, "I guess we'll see you and Minako shortly then."

"Ami, wait a moment." Makoto said and reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "Here." She said handing the blue haired girl the keys and pointing at one she added, "That one opens the front door." Ami gave her a curious looked, which prompted Makoto say, "I don't think we'll be  _that_  far behind you two, but there's no sense in waiting outside waiting on us."

"Right." The blue haired said after a moment of silence.

"We should get going then." Usagi said, causing Ami to turn toward her and nod her head in agreement. Makoto watched them both turning to Minako, who was staring at her hands that lay on her desk.

"Minako?"

The blonde quickly looked up at other girl, "Can we go outside?"

"Sure." Makoto said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Makoto followed the other girl, decided it would be for her to choose where they were going. Once they were outside Minako lead the brunette to a grassy spot with three trees, giving them plenty of shade. The blonde haired girl stopped and turned to Makoto, but she didn't look directly at her. She took a deep breath and looked to the ground. Minako kept her eyes directed at her shoes and played with the hem of her skirt, "Mako-chan…I…I'm so sorry for the way I blasted you last night." Minako said still not looking up to meet the other girl's eyes. "It was uncalled for on my part and I'm sorry."

'So it was about last night and not something else.' Makoto thought, feeling somewhat relieved. Makoto looked at Minako and could tell her silence wasn't putting the other girl at ease what so ever though. Makoto smiled and put her hand on her friend's shoulder, "Actually Minako…"

Minako's mouth was slightly agape as she listened to the other girl explain the events of the morning. A smile soon found its way on her face as she listened to the love-struck girl. It was really good to listening to Makoto, she was happy everything worked out for them.

"…but we just want to kind of keep it quite for now." Makoto said as she finished her retelling.

"I'm…I'm really happy for you, for the both of you." Minako finally said

Relief couldn't fully convey the emotion Minako felt. She felt so guilty about last night. Makoto didn't deserve to be yelled at like that. At the time though, she couldn't hold back out of…the only emotion she could equate to would be…pure frustration. The difficulties Rei faced in telling Usagi her feelings were harsh and unfathomable for any normal teenage girl. She could potentially destroy the future with her feelings, yet Minako could see all her two other friends needed was to reach out to one another. She was happy that it was still possible. She was beginning to lose faith in love. A ridiculous thought, the Senshi of love and emotion, the Goddess of love, giving up on what made her… **her**.

"Minako, what's on your mind?"

The blonde shook her head, "Nothing. We should hurry up and meet up with Ami and Usagi." Minako said and started walking.

"It's alright. I gave Ami my keys so they can go inside even if we're not there yet." Makoto explained as she matched the blonde's pace.

Minako couldn't stop a mischievous smirk from crossing her features as she said, "Why you sly…already giving her keys to your home."

One would think it humanly impossible for one's face to turn such a bright red, but at that very moment, Makoto seemed to be transcending human limitations, "I gave her my keys Minako… _my_  keys, so she and Usagi wouldn't have to wait outside for us."

Minako tapped her finger to her chin, seemingly deep in thought, "Oh right! You did say that didn't you? Although, if I didn't have to worry about parents at home…" She said trailing off as she gave her friend a sideways glance.

"Minako!"

* * *

As Diana walked through the hallways, she felt herself drawn to one area of the building, which was where she was currently headed. She traced the creaks in the wall to her left with her hand as she walked. 'This place is a real wreck.' She thought as she observed the walls to keep her mind occupied. She walked purposefully down the hall as though she'd taken this path a thousand times and before she knew it, she'd unconsciously stopped in front of a door. Diana was unsure as to why she felt drawn to this room, but there here she was nonetheless. The dark haired girl grabbed the doorknob and opened it.

As she stepped into the room a thought entered her mind, 'I know this room…' In fact, the entire building had a strange familiarity to it. But if it was the same place she remembered, it had greatly changed…it's merely a shadow of its former self. As she looked around the room, she thought about what could have caused its fall. 'Judging only by the state of many rooms, a fierce battle was fought here. It's been cleaned up, but nothing could hide the facts.'

Diana stopped when she felt the ground's surface change from some type of hard marble to something softer. She looked down saw a circle of black powder. The dark haired girl bent down picked some up in her hand, "Eternal Ember…" she said to herself as she let the slightly grainy substance slide through her fingers. She rubbed her hands together to remove any lingering powder and stepped back. In a flash she transformed into Sailor Mars and held her hand out to the powder. A small flame formed in her hand and she threw it to the ground, igniting the black material. A rather large fire soon formed, but it didn't spread through out the room or anything, it remained in the same circle.

Diana smiled as the flames even lit the previously dim room. There wasn't much to see, like all the other rooms, unfortunately. Still, with the fire lit, she found herself feeling more at ease than she had in some time. The dark haired girl walked up to the warm flame and knelt in front of it.

She brought her hands together and prayed to the gods for guidance and answers to the questions lingering her mind. After several minutes, a frown crossed her features. She felt nothing, which wasn't right. Diana could feel her frustration building up, but she tried to control, less then successfully. The realization of what was happening sunk in, even though her pride refused to let her admit it immediately. Several more minutes pass before she opened her eyes and stared at the fire, 'I was rejected by the fire.'

"Why?" she yelled at the fire.

A moment later a

spark shot out from the center of fire and flew through the air, over her shoulder until it collided with what sounded like glass behind her. Diana turned quickly to see what it struck, "A mirror." She said aloud.

She walked over to the object and knelt in front of it. The dark haired girl looked at her reflection. She saw a flash of something in her reflection and her eyes widened as a realization struck her, "I'm…I'm not pure…"

The door across the room suddenly opened, killing the fire in the room, and making it substantially colder within. Diana showed no sign of acknowledgment to the intruder; she knew who it was without looking anyway. "My mistress wishes to speak with you."

"I'm not in the mood." Diana said icily.

"It's about the Sailor Senshi…" Ryuji said trailing off at the end.

Diana quickly turned to the youma, "What about them?"

"I wasn't told. I was only told it was about them and to fetch you. Are you interest now then?"

Diana stood up and strode across the room. She paused when she reached the youma, almost expecting him to do or say something again, but he seemed content to just let her go this time, without a confrontation. She decided against wasting more time and continued past the youma, there were more important things on her mind. The Sailor Senshi came first because with them, she hoped to find answers, especially since they didn't seem to be forth coming from any other means.

Ryuji followed silently a short distance behind the senshi of fire. He had no intention of having a repeat of earlier, 'She might not see it, but bringing her here was a bad idea, I'm sure of that. She's far from being under our control…and no good can come of that.'

* * *

" _A stronger power_?" Haruka and Michiru asked simultaneously.

Hotaru didn't answer, instead she stood up from her chair and addressed the three women with her, "We're going to need some space."

"The living room should be spacious enough." Setsuna said. Hotaru nodded and started toward the said room.

Michiru and Haruka looked at one another for moment before shrugging their shoulders and following their other two companions. Their curiosity was peaked, what did Hotaru mean? Setsuna seemed to know, but she was mum as per usual.

Once all four of them had entered their destination Hotaru spoke once more, "Let's form a circle." Everyone did as the young girl instructed. Setsuna stood to Hotaru's left, with Michiru to hers, and Haruka to the Michiru's left. "Hold out your hands, close your eyes, and keep them like that until I say to open them." Hotaru instructed. The three women did as she told them and waited for the senshi of death and rebirth to do whatever she planned on doing. After a few minutes, they could feel Hotaru had transformed into her senshi persona. Even with everyone having their eyes closed, they could feel that a warm light filled the room for a brief time. "You can open your eyes."

The three women opened their eyes, to see exactly what happened. As they each looked around, they saw that they had transformed without even knowing it and that each held crystals in the hands. All eyes fell on Hotaru, including those of Setsuna, who appeared somewhat surprised herself. "These are symbols of our new power." Hotaru stated.

"Hotaru…what are these?" Uranus asked.

"They're our heart crystals." Pluto explained as she looked at Uranus and Neptune. She turned to the youngest senshi, "This isn't enough…you know that, right?"

"I do, this is only a step towards our goal." Saturn addressed Pluto. With a quiet sigh, her gaze fell to carpeted floor, "Unfortunately we must now wait, because I do not know what our enemy's next course of action will be." She glanced at Pluto as she finished her statement.

"Nor do I." Pluto added, upon seeing Saturn's eyes fall on her for that moment.

"So essentially we're forced to wait for Rei to come to us again." Neptune surmised.

Saturn nodded her head, if Pluto didn't have knowledge of what their enemy would be doing next, that was their only option, "Yes, unless something changes."

"We don't know where their base is either, so we can't exactly take the fight to them." Uranus said, the frustration evident in her voice. Neptune stepped closer to Uranus and silently took the other woman's hand.

"I don't know what she's planning, but I'm sure Kei won't sit back very long and give us time to formulate a strategy." Pluto said and looked at Saturn, "She is aware of what you're capable of."

"I have no intention on going  _that_  far. There is only one thing that will prompt me to use that attack." Saturn said.

"She doesn't know that though." Pluto noted.

The corner of youngest senshi's lips curled up slightly as she said, "If she's worried about me invoking my greatest power, then she might slip up." She added in a more serious tone, "Still, it doesn't change what actions we must take."

"Speaking of what we must do, it's about time we went over to Makoto's place." Neptune commented after her eyes caught the clock on the wall.

"Indeed. There will be time later for more discussion." Setsuna said as she undid her transformation. The others followed her example and undid their transformations as well.

Hotaru nodded and said, "Agreed. Besides, we shouldn't keep our Princess waiting."

* * *

Kei sat back in her chair, she'd just received information that the Sailor Senshi seemed to gathering at a certain building. Shortly after which, she told Ryuji to go fetch Mars. If they're truly gathering together for some reason, this would be a good time to test the waters once more. There was little doubt in her mind that Mars could handle herself against any of them, but her will seemed to be lacking. 'If this continues like this, I may have to take further actions to get her to do what I want….' The boom sound of the knocking at her door, forced her out of her thoughts and she called, "Who is it?"

"It's me and Mars is with me." Ryuji said from the other side of the door.

"Please come in then."

Ryuji opened the door and Diana stepped in before him as he was closing the door. She walked straight down the center of the room to Kei. "I believe you had word on the Sailor Senshi?"

"Of course, but we can get to that in a moment. First, let me ask you something. Did you find what you were in search of?" Kei asked.

Diana examined the woman for a moment before saying, "I wasn't exactly  _searching_  for anything, but I may have discovered something."

" _Something_?" Kei repeated.

"Yes, but in order to be sure I must return to Earth and confront the others again." Diana stated.

"You seem to be in luck then, because I just happen to know where they are at currently." Kei said with a proud smile.

"I assume that's why I was called here the first place." She thought aloud, prompting the seated woman to nod her head. "Then there is little to discuss. Simply tell me where I can find them and I'll be off."

"You're certainly eager." Kei observed. "Very well. They are at an apartment building, the home of one of them. It's not too far from where they were last night. If you go back there, you should be able to find them with ease."

Diana nodded, "I'm glad you told me of this." She looked at the other woman as if expecting her to say something more.

"Go on ahead, I need to discuss something with Ryuji." Kei said when she saw the girl look back. Diana was silent, but nodded her head in acknowledgement once more. Kei watched the other girl leave, once the door was shut, she turned to Ryuji. "You are to go as well. Select however many youma you want to accompany you." Kei said.

"What do want me to do?" Ryuji asked as he kneeled in front of his leader.

Kei looked at the youma and smiled, "Insure a fight takes place. I want Mars to clash with them once again and in the process, I want to you observe her for any hesitation she might show." She paused "If you have a chance to strike down the Sailor Senshi I discussed with you yesterday. That means, I give you permission to fight, but don't go all out and avoid Pluto"

"Should I tell the other youma the same?" The youma asked.

"Humph…no other youma could poise much of a threat to Pluto or any of them. They are there to keep the Sailor Senshi busy while you watch her actions."

"As you wish." Ryuji said and bowed low to the ground. "I will be off then." He said and stood up straight. The large youma turned around and walked to the room's exit at a brisk pace.

"Make sure no harm comes to Mars…protect her if you will." Kei said when Ryuji reached the double door.

"I will do as you wish." He said when he opened the door and left.

* * *

Ami opened the door, letting Makoto and Minako inside. As the brunette pasted her, she quietly asked, "So what did Minako want to talk about alone?"

"I told her." Makoto said simply, but when she received a questioning look she added, "I'll explain later, I promise."

As the three entered the living room, the two new arrivals found Mamoru was already there as well, so it seemed they were only waiting on the outers. Minako took a seat next to Usagi on the sofa, Mamoru was already sitting to her other side. Ami and Makoto sat next to each other on a love seat, to the left of the sofa.

Without the outers being present the group talked about random things, for the most part, since none thought they should start discussing senshi business until everyone was there. Added to that, it was most likely going to be Setsuna or Hotaru with the real strategy, since they seemed to be the only ones who knew how Usagi could become Eternal Sailor Moon, even Haruka and Michiru seemed to be in the dark.

Makoto looked at the time and stood up, "I think I'll make some snacks since we're still waiting for Haruka and them to show out."

"I'll give you a hand." Ami said and said and got up from her seat as well.

"Don't forget something for dessert!" Usagi called and paused for moment, as if she was expecting someone to say something. When the room remained silent, save for a few giggles from her friends, she sighed.

"What's wrong Usagi?" Minako asked as she saw the girl's downcast expression, despite the fact that she was discussing food, one of her favorite subjects.

"I never thought I say this, but I miss Rei's remarks about how I eat." The future queen of Earth muttered quietly. The room became deafeningly silent as everyone in the room held various looks of sadness.

Mamoru put his arm around Usagi and whispered, "We have hope now though. Hotaru gave us that remember?"

Usagi nodded silently and snuggled deeper into the warmth her boyfriend provided. Just then the door bell rang.

"That must be Haruka and the others. I'll go let them in." Ami said and quietly left the room.

Ami was gone for a few minutes, but when she returned, she was flanked by four other women.

Makoto stuck her head out of her kitchen and said, "Everyone can take a seat, I'll be done shortly."

"Thanks, Makoto." Michiru replied as they continued into the living room to take their seats. The outers had barely taken their seats when there was another ring of the door bell.

"You weren't expecting any other company today, were you?" Haruka asked.

"No." Makoto called from the kitchen..

"I'll go check it out. It's probably just someone selling something." Minako said and she stood up. As she reached the doorway to next the living room, she added, "I'll just use my charms to make him go away." She winked at the group as she left.

* * *

Diana stared at the large building before her, 'They are here.' She thought to herself and closed her eyes. 'Their presences are unmistakable.' On top of that, she'd just seen four women enter the building, who each bore a very suspicious resemblance to a Sailor Senshi. She took a deep breath as she walked across the street, 'Am I hear to fight…or…talk?' She thought as she walked up to the door and stopped for a moment when she reached the stairs. An odd feeling came over her, something reminiscent of déjà vu. She felt familiar with this place, despite this being her first time being here. She did her best to push that feeling out of her mind

'I think I'll let things play out on their own.' She thought and rang the door bell that had 'Kino Makoto' written next to it. She waited a moment; she could hear talking, followed by someone making their way to the door. She closed her eyes and tried to pin point which one she was going to see first. Her eyes slowly opened as she heard the doorknob being turned. As she watched the door open, she was confident she knew who was on the other side of the door. Once the door was fully open, Diana saw the girl's head was turned away from doorway, her attention instead on something inside.

"Good afternoon, Venus."

The blonde haired girl stumbled back, tripping over her feet as she did, and fell to the ground, landing on her backside. "REI!"

She looked at the girl on the ground for moment, but her ears caught the sounds of feet hurrying in her direction causing her gaze to leave the blonde in order to greet the others. It took no time at all for everyone to make it to the doorway, having heard Minako's loud voice moments earlier. Once everyone was present she felt it was time to inform them what her intentions were. "I'm here to…" She started to say, but was cut off by the booming voice behind her.

"…Finish the job from last night!"

Diana looked over her shoulder and stared angrily at the sight behind her. Ryuji stood in the street and behind him stood even more youma. A red flash brightened the immediate area for a moment. When the light faded, no one stood on the stone porch. However, her voice could be heard in the street. "What the Hell are you doing here?" Mars asked and grabbed the youma by his shoulders.

"I'm only here on her orders." He stated.

"And them?" She questioned further as she motioned to the dozen or so youma behind Ryuji.

"Her orders as well." He explained calmly.

Mars looked at the youma in disgust, and pushed him away from her when she released his shoulders. 'The stupid fool has ruined everything.' She thought and looked back to the building where the Sailor Senshi were, 'I can't speak with them as I would have with  _him_  here.' She looked back to the youma once more and cursed silently, 'There's only one thing I can do then…' The fire senshi turned back to youma once more and said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Attack!" The youma behind her each let out their feral war cries and started to move forward.

"Umm…guys…isn't it about time we transformed?" Makoto asked as she met everyone's gazes.

"We have no choice. I haven't explained how we need to help Usagi become Eternal Sailor Moon yet." Hotaru said. Everyone silently agreed and brought their respective henshin sticks, or rose in Mamoru's case.

Mamoru pulled out a rose and transformed into Tuxedo Kamen.

"Mercury Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Neptune Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Uranus Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Pluto Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Saturn Crystal Power, Makeup!"

"Moon Crisis, Makeup!"

With everyone transformed, the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen charged out to meet the youma.

* * *

There wasn't a lot of space for them to fight, but the Sailor Senshi spaced themselves out as best they could. They were outnumbered after all and it wouldn't be good for any one of them to try to take on too many youma.

Mars and Ryuji watched the battle before them. Every so often Ryuji would glance at Mars, as though he was trying to watch her reaction to the fights. Mars studied each senshi, one by one. Her vision became stuck on one. With that one she felt a strong desire to fight, unlike with all the others, whom she only felt the urge to fight. It was different with this one; she couldn't feel the same bloodlust when she looked anyone else. Without a word she darted off to meet that one in order to get an explanation for it.

Saturn saw Mars run off in the direction of Sailor Moon and she cursed silently before slicing the youma she was battling in half. She took off after her, cutting down a few more youma on the way, but sudden a long pole dropped down in her path.

Ryuji lowered weapon, forced Saturn to stop. She followed the pole of the weapon up until her eyes reached the youma it belonged to. 'The youma Rei was just standing with.'

"It appears that she's chosen her prey…what do you say, you and I duel one another instead?" Ryuji asked.

Saturn glared at the youma and swung her own blade at the youma, but he blocked the attempted strike with relative ease. He pushed his weapon into hers, forcing her back a little. In one smooth movement he unlocked their weapons and swung his at her. Saturn hastily blocked it, as he had done with her. She looked past the youma for a moment and cursed, it appeared she'd have to deal with this youma before anything else.

* * *

Tuxedo Kamen had just bested one youma when he turned his attention to Sailor Moon to make sure she was fairing alright. Thankfully she was holding her own quite well. He smiled for a moment, but that faded quickly as a fist connected with the side of his face and sent to the ground.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" He could hear Sailor Moon yell that as he lay on the ground. He slowly pulled a rose out of the inside pocket of his tuxedo and reared back to throw the projectile at the youma who put him in his current position, but he dropped the flower when he looked up and saw Mars standing over him.

"You're not a Sailor Senshi…so what are you?" She asked. When he remained silent she continued, "Your aura bears the signature of this planet…of Earth. Yet I know there to be no Senshi of Earth. You're also a man, that alone means you are no Sailor Senshi. So, what are you?"

"I'm Tuxedo Kamen…" He said, but was cut off before he could say anymore.

"I heard her say that." Mars said gesturing toward Sailor Moon. "I'm asking you  _what_  you are?"

"I'm the Prince of this planet, I'm Endymion."

"Endymion?" She smiled a bit as repeated the name. "It's funny for some reason hearing that name drives me to make you feel pain." Mars found it difficult to control rising anger the more she spoke to the tuxedo clad man, "You know…I find it easier to fight with you…more so than anybody else." Mars said and clenched her fist at her side. "Do you know why that is?"

"I have no reason to fight with you!" Tuxedo Kamen exclaimed as he sat up.

"That's not answering my question." She said, clenching her fist even tighter. She could feel her anger grow exponentially the more she stared at the tuxedo clad man. Her resolution to not lose herself to her anger was barely even a whisper in her mind. She felt even stronger when she allowed herself to be fueled by her anger.

"I…I don't…" He got out as even he could sense the foreboding aura the senshi of fire was giving off.

"Is that all you can say?" Mars said and looked at the man with contempt as she felt a warm liquid run down her fingers. The cement beneath her fists became stained with small droplets of red. She raised her right hand up and pulled it back a bit in preparation for her attack. "I'll end this nice and quick."

Tuxedo Kamen closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable. 'I won't fight you, but perhaps allowing you to do this will show you that this not what  _you_  want as well.'

"So you're going to make this easy then? I don't have a problem with that!" Mars said and punched the man on the right side of his jaw, knocking him on to his back again. She grabbed the front of his collar and pulled him up to his feet. As she held him up, she brought back her free hand and punched him the stomach, causing him to groan painfully. She repeated the process a couple more times before loosing her grip on his collar, letting him drop to the ground. He coughed violently as he held his stomach on all fours. Mars kicked him in the side of his rib cage, forcing him on to his back. She bent down lifted the tuxedo wearing man up slightly. "You can't even put up a fight…"

"I…won't…" He said through labored breaths.

"So be it then." She said and raised her fist in what she believed would be one more time, the finishing blow. Flames manifested around her fist as she held it back a few moments longer. She brought her fist down, but a voice caught her ear, halting her attack.

"Stop!"

The senshi of fire's blood soaked fist stopped just short of its target. She turned her head in the direction of the voice and saw a youma fall to the ground. She released the tuxedo clad man, allowing him to drop to the ground, and took a step back from him. From behind the fallen youma emerged the senshi with blonde hair and pigtails running toward her. She didn't make another movement, she simply watched the blonde senshi come closer. Mars stared quizzically as the girl ran between her and the tuxedo man, 'Does this girl think she can stop me?'

"Rei! Please stop this." Sailor Moon cried as she stretched out her arms protectively.

"Who do you think you are?" Mars yelled. She could feel the anger she felt when fighting the tuxedo clad man had lessened drastically, but she still felt like she was being urged on by her negative emotions.

"Please…I'm begging you…don't do this." Moon cried as she fell to her knees.

"Stay the hell out of my way! " Mars lifted her hand up to strike the girl.

Tears fell from the crystal blue eyes of the girl kneeling on the ground, staining her cheeks. She tried to say something else, but the words didn't seem be able to come out. There was such a pained expression on the blonde's face, any one would think she was physically harmed, but she appeared perfectly healthy.

The fire senshi found herself gaze drawn to the other girl's eyes. When Mars looked into the other girl's eyes, she froze. She could see her own reflection clearly in her wet, glistening blue eyes and she felt powerless with her looking at her like she was. 'What…is…this…feeling…?' Her eyes slowly began to blur as a light breeze blow past her, making her aware that her cheeks were no longer dry either. Her hand cautiously reached up to her face and wiped her eyes dry. 'Why…?' She didn't know what caused the sudden flow of tears or how exactly to make them stop because even though she'd already wiped her eyes once, her vision was no better, in fact it seemed to be degrading even further.

"Rei…"

The other girl's voice brought her out of her thoughts. She blinked several times in order to get a clear look at the other girl, she was only partially successful. 'What's come over me?' She asked herself. 'It's as though I don't have any control over my emotions here.'

"Rei…it hurts to see you like this. I want you back…the way you were. I'll help you, if you'll only let me." Sailor Moon said and extended her hand to other girl. "Please come back to me…"

Without even thinking her hand began to reach for the other girl's out stretched hand. Her body seemed to acting of its own accord, but subconsciously she wanted to know what this girl was offering. "I…I…" She said as her hand drew closer. When her hand was just short of Sailor Moon's, Mars fell to her knees and gripped the sides of her head with her hands. She closed her eyes and silently pleaded with a higher power to make it stop. She thought the pain from the headaches the previous night were bad, but this…this was on a whole other level. She could hear the blonde's movement on the pavement in front of her, "No!" she called out and the other girl seemed to stop. "Is this what you wanted?"

Fresh tears sprang to Sailor Moon's eyes as she tried to speak, "I-I don't even kn-know what's h-happening to you." Her voice breaking at the end.

"Don't lie!" Mars screamed. She could feel pain lessen as her anger grew and while she didn't understand that, it didn't matter because now she felt coherent enough to stand once again. "I'm through with this…" She said and stood.

"Wait Rei! You can't just leave!"

Mars ignored the other girl and started to walk away on semi-steady feet, but after only a few steps away, she could hear someone get up behind her as well. She glanced over her shoulder and saw it was the blonde she just spoke to. Her eyes widened as she saw one youma running at Sailor Moon from behind, apparently the same youma she thought to be slain by the very girl it was running at furiously. The closer the youma got, Diana could hear the other senshi trying to warn the blonde, but she wasn't even paying any attention. The other senshi seemed to realize that quickly, as they started to run toward the girl to protect her, most were stopped by the youma they were already currently fighting.

As she watched everything unfold in front of her, Diana felt an odd feeling she faintly recognized fill her soul. Without thinking she pointed her hand at the youma and called upon her powers. Flames manifested in her hand and instinctively the words of her attack rolled off her tongue.

"Hell Fire!"

The built up inferno shot from Mars's hand and sailed straight for the youma that was closing in on Sailor Moon.

Moon's eyes widened as she saw fire flying toward her. It took a moment for her to realize the flames weren't directed at her. Finally she could hear the calls of the other senshi…'watch out behind you!'…'Sailor Moon a youma!'…'Sailor Moon get down!' Something clicked with the girl, and where exactly the fire shooting toward her was really headed…the youma, who was now within arms distance. It was only a few short seconds after she realized that and dove to the ground, that the youma was engulfed in flames. The youma's loud screech drew everyone's attention to it, but in moments it was dead.

Confusion was an understatement, to describe the atmosphere. Mars was frozen in the same position as when she fired her attack. All she could do was stare at her right hand, as though she didn't believe what she'd just done.

The youma seemed to take Mars' action as betrayal, so they abandoned their fights with the other Sailor Senshi and charged the fire senshi. Mars looked to be in no state to handle the youma onslaught. There was a call from Sailor Moon to stop them before they could reach her. Before any of them could act, however, the large youma Sailor Moon had previously recognized as the youma that had taken Mars stepped in front of the fire senshi. He lifted up his halberd and sliced the youma down, before they were even a factor.

Mars didn't even acknowledge the events that just took place in front of her. She couldn't even wrap her mind around  _why_  she did what she did. She didn't even feel as though she was in control of her own body at that point. Out of the crowd Mars could hear someone yell something that was loud and clear to her ears.

"This is who you are Rei…she can't change that. You can't stand back and watch her get hurt. When  _Usagi_  is in danger!" Hotaru shouted to the fire senshi.

Mars looked up from her previously catatonic state and stared at the blonde senshi that she'd just saved, "…Usagi…"

Ryuji stepped in front of Mars once more and raised his halberd high into the air, "That's enough!" His weapon began to glow an eerie purple as he said, "I'm afraid this is where we take our leave for today."

"We're not letting you go anywhere!" Venus yelled.

Ryuji smiled, "I'm not exactly giving you a choice in the matter."

"Eternal Pandemonium!"

Once Ryuji uttered those words, the entire immediate area became enclosed in some kind of purple doom.

"What is this?" Mercury asked as she looked around.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you. Only I can move around this freely." He said with a smile.

"You son of a…" Uranus said and began to take a step forward when wave of pain shot through her body. She screamed out in pain, but she wasn't the only one, all the senshi screamed with her.

"Did I mention the punishment for moving affects everyone?" Ryuji said with an evil smirk. "Now, I believe we'll be leaving." He said and walked over to Mars.

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Sailor Moon yelled.

"I don't think so." He said and picked her up. He raised his weapon once more and seemingly sliced the air, creating a hole. He turned around when he heard the Sailor Senshi's screams again. "I guess you enjoy pain as much as this one. I guess that's something all of you have in common."

"You aren't taking her!" Venus yelled and tried to take one step, but it yielded the same result. The youma didn't even bother answering that time, because was already stepping into the darkness of the tear he created with a smile on his face. The last view they saw of Mars was her being carried away by the large youma through the black opening.

End Ch. 28

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm....not much to say on this chapter honestly lol.


	29. Reunion

Chapter 29 – Reunion

* * *

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Sailor Moon yelled.

"I don't think so." He said and picked her up. He raised his weapon once more and seemingly sliced the air, creating a hole. He turned around when he heard the Sailor Senshi's screams again. "I guess you enjoy pain as much as this one. I guess that's something all of you have in common."

"You aren't taking her!" Venus yelled and tried to take one step, but it yielded the same result. The youma didn't even bother answering that time, because he was already stepping into the darkness of the tear he created with a smile on his face. The last view they saw of Mars was her being carried away by the large youma through the black opening.

Once the opening was closed, the effects of the youma attack seemed to end as well because everyone was released from torturous grip the area had over them. All the girls stared at the spot Mars was last seen and a few could even be heard cursing. Even though everything happened only a few paces away from them, they couldn't do anything to prevent Mars from disappearing with the youma.

Sailor Moon dropped to her knees and lowered her head. The inner senshi rushed over to the blonde, fearing the worst. Venus knelt beside her, her fear heightened when she realized the other girl was crying. 'She isn't hurt is she?' Venus asked herself. She was about ask her if anything was wrong when she noticed Moon was smiling, even if it was only a small one. "Usagi…?"

"That was Rei…our Rei. Even if it was only for a few seconds that was really our Rei."

Venus nodded her head and felt her eyes brimming with tears as well, "Yeah, that was our Rei all right."

Sailor Moon looked over to Venus and smiled. She was relieved that the other girl hadn't thought she was crazy for what she just said; because even she wasn't entirely sure it made all that much sense.

"Come on; let's get you up off the ground." Jupiter said from behind the two blondes. Moon nodded and accepted the tall brunette's help, while Venus stood up, on her own beside her.

"I think…" Mercury began to say, but the sound of someone moaning caught her ears.

"Arrg…"

All the girls turned with Mercury, when they heard a groan behind them as well. On the ground lay Tuxedo Kamen; he looked to be in urgent need of assistance. He'd had the toughest battle of all, fighting Rei or rather taking a beating from Rei. Unluckily for him, she didn't seem to hold back much either. His face was bloody, his breaths were labored, and pained expression showed on his features.

"Oh God! Saturn!" Sailor Moon called and ran to the beaten man.

"I'm on it." The young said as she made her way to the injured man. When she reached him, she laid her Silence Glaive on the ground and knelt next to him, beside Sailor Moon. She placed both hands over the man's body and after moment a purple light surrounded her hands. Everyone watched anxiously, but in no time Saturn's efforts began to show results. Tuxedo Kamen's breathing started to sound normal and color noticeably returned to his face, the blood that was still on his face not with standing. The light faded from Saturn's hands and she looked over her shoulder to the other girls, "I've healed him as much as I can. He'll be fine in a little while."

Tuxedo Kamen coughed, drawing everyone's attention to him, "Thanks…Saturn." He said and started to sit up.

Sailor Moon held him in place, "You shouldn't move so quickly."

"It's alright. I've healed all of his most dire wounds." Saturn said started to stand up herself, but failed when she was half way up. Luckily, Uranus stood close enough to her and was able to catch her before she could fall back to the ground.

"Saturn!" The sandy haired blonde called worried.

The youngest senshi looked up to her savior and smiled weakly, "Sorry, I just get a little weak after I heal someone whose been severely injured."

"It might be a good idea to go back inside, before we draw too much attention to ourselves." Mercury suggested.

"Agreed." Venus spoke up and looked to Jupiter. "Jupiter?"

She nodded, "Right, let's go." The brunette said and led the way. Sailor Moon and Mercury helped Tuxedo Kamen to his feet and Uranus continued to help Saturn.

The outers hung to the back of the group and when there was a short distance between them and the others Saturn whispered, "They must be unified with the same thought for this to work." The dark hair girl was quiet for moment before looking over to the senshi of time, "Can I expect your help in this, Pluto?"

"Of course, but I believe they are already unified." She answered.

"Perhaps…but let's air on the side of caution to be safe. We'll only get one shot at this after all." Saturn remarked. "Today's events are only more reason to hasten our plan."

"Because we don't know what Kei will do next?" Uranus asked.

Saturn nodded her head slowly, "Rei's actions have likely thrown a wrench into her plans."

"You don't think that she'd kill her now, do you?" Michiru asked.

Saturn shrugged her shoulders and looked at Pluto, "I wouldn't rule that out as one of her possible solutions." Pluto said somberly.

"Get a move on, guys!" Jupiter called from the door. The outers nodded in response and quickened their pace.

* * *

Ryuji walked through the halls to Kei's chambers, still carry Mars over his shoulder. 'This woman is trouble, just as I expected.' He thought to himself. Luckily she wasn't putting up any kind of fight, she wasn't even saying anything. She was silent…too silent for Ryuji's tastes. 'Perhaps this will prove it to her as well.' He thought as he reached his destination. He was about to push the door open when they opened before he could.

"Bring her in here."

Ryuji found himself surprised by Kei's appearance in the doorway. He recovered quickly enough when he saw an irritated look cross her features. He hurried inside, allowing Kei to shut the room's doors. Ryuji turned and addressed her, but noticed her eyes were on the person he was holding.

"Put her down." She commanded.

He did as he was told and place the senshi of Mars down gently in front of Kei. She knelt down to match Mars' eye level; though the senshi had her head lowered causing her dark hair to hide her face. Kei put her hand on her chin and raised her head up to meet hers. Kei could see Mars had her eyes closed even though she lifted her head to look into her eyes. "Open your eyes and look at me."

After Kei a few more times of asking her to open her eyes she finally complied. Mars blinked a few times before a look of recognition crossed her face, "You!"

Quicker than Kei could reaction, Mars slapped her hand away from her face, and grabbed her throat. Kei's eyes widened and on reflex she grabbed Mars' hands in order to force her to break her hold. It seemed that the senshi of fire's grip only tightened as a result however. Kei could tell she was already starting to feel the effects of strangling hold, because she was getting light headed. Out the corner of her eye she could see the glint of metal coming closer and closer until it clanged off the ground. She could also breathe again, so she knew Mars had released her. Kei looked up and saw Mars was now standing a good distance away her and Ryuji, whom had his weapon in hand.

Kei stood up and observed Mars, 'She's fighting back…because she knows or…'

"Subdue her, Ryuji!" Kei commanded the youma.

"With pleasure."

Kei watched the youma charge the senshi with his weapon raised above his head. He was poised to swing the blade down, but her eyes widened as she saw something, only she'd ever known herself to have done, Mars stopped the weapon before it completed its swing. She grabbed the youma's hand and even though it seemed he was still trying to bring it down, neither his hand nor the weapon was moving from where Mars held it. She slowly moved her free hand to the lower part of handle and gripped it tightly. With one swift turn, she twisted the weapon out of the youma's hand and into her own. She looked at it for a moment before throwing it away, over her shoulder.

"You filthy bitch!" Ryuji cursed and swung his large fist at her.

Mars sidestepped the attempted strike and watched as the youma stumbled, but didn't take advantage of the opening it presented. The youma seemed to grow even angrier when he missed her because he quickly recovered his balance and glared at the senshi. Once more he thrust his fist at her and as before she stepped away from the punch. Yet again, she didn't go on the offensive even when the opportunity presented itself. It seemed as though she was toying with Ryuji. He growled before charging her again and throwing a third punch at her. This time Mars didn't seem to be making an attempt to dodge. Instead, she caught his fist before it could reach its intended target. The youma tried to pull his hand away, but was unsuccessful. With a quick thrust of her free arm, she elbowed the large youma in the stomach, sending him to his knees. This process continued a few more times, with Mars countering differently, but not changing the result.

"Useless…" Kei muttered herself as she watched Ryuji being thrown back by Mars again. She hadn't even used her senshi powers and yet she doing something Kei thought impossible, beating Ryuji in a match of physical strength. To Kei's eyes, Mars had barely even warmed, but she was handling Ryuji with minimal effort. The outcome of this fight was obvious if she allowed it to continue. "Ryuji! Stand down! I'll handle this."

The youma looked at his mistress for a moment, "I'm not done!"

"Yes, you are!" Kei said and appeared beside Ryuji, quicker than he'd ever seen her move. In a moment she swatted the youma to the other side of the room with a strike from the back of her forearm.

Mars didn't even flinch as she watched the events before her. Her relaxed stance seemed to only prove her disinterest even further. The only sign she even observed what just happened was her eyes unconsciously drifting over to where the youma collided with the wall.

"You're strength has increased substantially, hasn't it? I know when you first fought with Ryuji; he wiped the floor with you." Kei said.

Mars directed her full attention at the woman in front of her, "You'd do well not to underestimate me either."

Kei smiled as she said, "So, you're letting that power control you. Your mind is telling you I'm your enemy, is it not?"

"That's because you are my enemy." Mars countered.

"Am I? Your mind isn't stable at the moment and you don't even know what you're saying."

Mars blinked a few times and stepped back from Kei. She undid her transformation and stared at her hands in shock. Again her body was acting without her full consent, she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop herself if it were to happen again. "I…I…don't know what came over me."

"Shh..." Kei said and placed the palm of her hand against the side of the other girl's face. She closed her eyes for a moment and whispered something indiscernible, but after she said whatever it was Diana's eyes closed and she fell limply against Kei. She gently brought the girl to the ground, so that she was laid out on the ground.

Ryuji slowly walked over to the two women. Have to pick himself up off the floor because once again he was on the receiving end of an attack from one of the two women he was approaching. This was certainly becoming an unwanted habit. He should have known better than to try to continue the fight after Kei told him to stop though. He stopped once he stood even with a now kneeling Kei. "Why'd you go so easy on her?"

"She will still be the one to kill Serenity." She explained simply.

"But we can't succeed like this. Even with all you've done, she's still falling to their side." Ryuji said.

"I'm aware of that!" Kei said sharply, silencing the youma.

"What do you intend to do now then?" He asked curiously.

"Correct the problem that arose, which is apparent to me now." Kei said and looked down to Diana, "I left too many…" She added quietly.

Ryuji looked at her, "What?"

Kei looked up from the resting girl and looked at the youma, "Her real memories…I left too many of them intact, or rather, the memories I gave her were too closely tied to her real memories. I'm sure that's what brought about this."

"What do you intend to do then?" Ryuji asked as his gaze traveled down to the resting girl. "She's of no use…"

"Don't be foolish." Kei said cutting off the youma. "I never said that, did I?" She asked and looked to Ryuji, who nodded when he saw the look he was receiving. Kei turned back Diana as she said, "This wasn't entirely unexpected. The struggle she put up when I forced her to forget made me think about what further actions I might have to take if a case such as this should arise."

"You planned for this?"

"Of course I didn't plan for  _this_  entirely, but I wasn't going to find myself in a position I wasn't prepared for. There was always the possibility that she wouldn't take to the memories I gave her. I manipulated her real memories in the hopes that she would accept them easier, but it seems they only caused more problems." She explained.

"What do you intend to do now then?" Ryuji asked as he looked from Kei to Diana and back again.

"I will ensure she no longer has any ties to the Sailor Senshi…particularly the Princess. I will clear her mind completely and rewrite all of her memories. Her mind is more pliable…with her doubt of what is true and what is false. She no longer holds the same conviction she did when she first came here, which will make it all the easier. If she hadn't struggled like she did originally, I would have done this from the beginning."

"Is this wise though…what if she doesn't completely fall under your control?" Ryuji asked.

Kei turned to Ryuji and smiled, "In the unlikely scenario that occurs, I'll kill her in front of her friends…in front of her Princess."

"It sounds as if you're as cruel as ever…" Ryuji muttered quietly.

"Don't mistake my actions towards her since she's been here as kindness, I have no need for that emotion any longer. She is nothing more than tool for my use, an important tool, but a tool nonetheless." Kei said and paused for a few seconds, "My orders about your actions toward her haven't changed. Until I deem her to be expendable, you are not to lay a false hand on her."

Kei was silent afterward, awaiting the youma's response, which he moments later, "It will be as you wish."

She turned away from the youma once again, "Excellent. Now, if you'll leave, I have some work to do." She said as looked at Diana's sleeping form.

* * *

Everyone took the same seats as they did earlier. Usagi and Ami eased Mamoru on to the sofa. Usagi sat next to him once she was sure he was comfortable. Haruka was still helping Hotaru, despite her protests that she was better. Usagi eyed her boyfriend worriedly, though she didn't say any thing. Mamoru caught the look he was being given and although he hesitated for a few seconds to question her on it, but when she didn't turn away or act differently, he felt it was best to reassure the girl.

"I'm fine." Mamoru said softly to Usagi. She nodded her head and sat beside the dark haired man, though she still looked uneasy.

Once everyone had finally settled in, Hotaru looked around the room at its occupants, "It's clear after what we just witnessed that Rei hasn't given up, so I think it would be best if our next meeting with Rei be when we take action to return her to normal."

"The sooner the better." Makoto commented

"She's been used for too long as it is."

"We're all in agreement then?" Hotaru asked the room's occupants.

Everyone nodded in response to the youngest girl's question, "I think that's something all of us can agree on." Minako added.

"Just tell us what we need to do." Makoto said, sounding eager.

"I've already said all of us must be in good physical condition and thankfully that seems to be the case. Of course, being in good condition physically is only a small part of this process. Without Rei to give her energy, all of us will have to compensate for that. So, that leads me into the first real step and that is to make sure everyone is unified spiritually and mentally. This may sound a bit strange, but the best way to do this is to separate everyone and ask each person a few questions." Hotaru explained

"Okay, but why separately?" Ami asked.

"It will be easiest that way." Setsuna replied.

"Would you mind being first Minako?" Hotaru asked.

After a short hesitation, she nodded her head, "Sure."

Everyone stood up except for Minako and Usagi, who had been quietly staring off into space. The Moon Princess jumped slightly when she felt someone's hand on her own. Her eyes followed the hand up to its owner and she found herself looking at Mamoru.

"Are you alright?" He whispered quietly. She nodded her head slightly in response, but Mamoru didn't exactly buy it. "Are you sure?" He persisted.

"Yeah, it's just…" Usagi said and shook her head, "…it's nothing." Usagi shook her head once more as though she was seemingly trying to reassure herself more than Mamoru. He still wasn't entirely satisfied, but she didn't seem to be very forthcoming either. He weighed his opinions over in his head and in the end he decided to leave Usagi to her thoughts, believing she'd come to him if she wanted to talk.

"Let's step out for little while then." Mamoru said as he offered his hand to Usagi. She nodded her head once and took a hold of the offered hand. Together, they walked out of the room, leaving Minako alone with Hotaru and Setsuna. Nothing was said initially, though it seemed the two outer senshi were simply waiting for the Usagi and Mamoru to be out of earshot.

"I'll start by being straight forward…" Hotaru said and took a deep breath, "Do you want Rei back?"

"Of course!" Minako answered quickly.

Hotaru held up her hands defensively, "Do not take this personally. We are simply trying to gauge your resolve, nothing more."

"Having Rei back is the most important thing to me right now. My resolve is as strong as anyone's." The leader of the Sailor Senshi said resolutely.

Hotaru nodded her head in acceptance and looked over her shoulder. "Setsuna?"

The tall green haired woman stepped away from the wall and stood beside the chair in which Hotaru sat. "I'm sorry if I sound harsh…but stop feeling guilty."

"I don't…"

"Don't lie to me Minako." The green haired woman said sternly. She took a deep breath and added, in a more gentle tone, "She would have gone even if you'd taken her henshin stick. The youma threatened Usagi so she accepted their challenge."

Minako lowered her head so the two outer senshi couldn't see her face, "She should have called me…"

Setsuna walked over to the blond and put her hand on her shoulder. "She's stubborn to a fault. I'm sure even as she went to fight; she knew it was a trap."

Minako looked up sharply and when she did her two companions could see her eyes were filled with tears that were threatening to spill over any moment, "Then why did she go?"

"You know that probably better than anyone. She let her emotions dictate her actions. Had she been thinking rationally, she would have called you, but again, you know full well how stubborn she is. Ironically, her stubbornness is likely what's keeping her within our grasp."

Minako nodded, she had to admit that she did feel a bit better, but even without this talk with Setsuna she felt she couldn't be deterred from giving her all to bring Rei back to normal. Setsuna looked at her fellow outer senshi and nodded.

"I believe that is all." The dark haired girl said. She watched the other girl stand up and as she turned away she added, "Could you ask Makoto-san and Ami-san to come in together?" Minako nodded a moment later, "Please don't discuss with them what we spoke about." The other girl nodded once one before exiting the room.

* * *

A soft moan escaped the dark haired girl's lips as she rolled on to her side, in her restless sleep. She rolled back on to her back and offered up another uncomfortable moan. She seemed to be dreaming, some less than pleasant dreams in fact, probably more commonly called nightmares. The young girl continued the same routine of rolling from side to side for sometime.

To the side of the sleeping girl, knelt another dark haired girl. She didn't seem concerned in the least about the other girl; in fact, she wore a smile on her face. She was tempted to wake her, but she decided she enjoyed watching the other girl helplessly whimper uncomfortably. She realized her entertainment was coming to a close when the girl stopped turning over. A few moments later, her dark eyes opened and stared up at the ceiling.

"Ah…so you're finally awake?"

The formerly sleeping girl turned her head to face the other person in the room, "Yes." She said simply and sat up.

Kei watched her for a moment, to see if she could spot anything unusually. "Do you feel alright?"

"Yes." She said once more and looked around the room curiously.

"Is something wrong, Diana?"

"Nothing…really." She said and patted the ground a few times before asking, "Is there any reason I'm on the floor though?"

Kei shook her head, "I'm afraid I do not have an answer to that. You were already like that when I found you, and since you were fast a sleep by that time, I didn't see any sense in waking you."

Diana looked at her strangely, but shook her head after a short time, "I guess it's not that important." She said as she stood up. Diana stretched her arms above her head and yawned, "Did you have any plans for today?"

"What?" Kei asked, sounding surprised.

"Are we doing battle today? Do I need to make preparations for battle?" She clarified.

Kei stared at the dark haired warrior, 'She's only just woken up and she wants to know  _that_?' "No. I have no such plans for today."

"I'm going to take a walk then." Diana said and walked away slowly. Once she reached the door, she looked back to the center of the room where she had previously left Kei, "I'll be around if that changes." She said before opening one of the doors and leaving without another word.

Kei was a little dumbfounded as she walked to back of the room and sat down on the only chair, in fact the only furniture of any kind in the area. She slumped back against the chair's high back and sighed. 'That wasn't the personality I'd like her to have. She's too similar to… In fact, she's virtually just like other Martian warriors I've met.' She rubbed her temples slowly and shut her eyes as she thought about her next course of action. 'Perhaps she'll be easier control like this, if I do everything right. Either way, it'll soon be time to end this…one way or another.'

Kei was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a knock at the door. Her eyes traveled in the direction of the knocking and she took a deep breathe before calling to whom she already knew was at the door. "Come in, Ryuji!"

The doors slowly creaked open and once they were nearly open fully, the large youma entered the room. He closed the door when he was inside and advanced into the large room. "How did it go?" Those were the first words said since he entered.

"As well as to be expected." She answered vaguely. It was true for the most part though, without going into the details. The mind is a fragile thing and she wanted a usable subject, but not a mindless killing machine. If she were to become such a mindless thing, that would make her difficult to control, though for an entirely different reason than before.

"How long should we expect her to be useful to us?" Ryuji asked.

"That's unimportant now."

The youma looked confused for a moment before saying, "I don't understand…"

Kei smiled as she asked, "How many youma remain in our ranks?"

"A couple dozen or so." Ryuji responded.

'That might not be enough…' She thought to herself. Kei tabbed her finger on her chin as she stared off into the distance for a short time before speaking. "All of them will be needed shortly, Ryuji. I plan to bring an end to all of this soon. With so few youma, I'll depend heavily on you to pick up the slack."

"I'm more than ready."

"That's exactly what I expected of you." Kei said and smiled slightly.

* * *

Ami and Makoto entered the room with the two outer senshi. They were curious as to what they were going to be asked, more so after seeing Minako. She looked as though she had been crying, although she clearly wasn't any longer, she was sometime before she told them to go speak with Hotaru and Setsuna. They didn't pry, so it was up to their imaginations as to what happened.

"Please sit down." Hotaru waited from them to get comfortable. Once it appeared that they were she began. "I'm going to blunt, do you want Rei back?"

Makoto looked at the young girl as though she grown two heads, "Are you serious?"

"Quite." She replied simply.

The two inner senshi looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders, still unsure why they would be asked such a ridiculous question. They both looked back at Hotaru and said together, "I do."

Hotaru look at them for some time, as though she were scrutinizing the response they had just given her. After she was satisfied she nodded her head and looked over her shoulder to the senshi of time, "Setsuna…?"

The older woman lowered her head for a moment before speaking her piece, "Would your feelings waver if, by chance, Rei were to harm Ami?"

Makoto's eyes widened and she stared at the senshi of time. She felt unsure of herself, should she question why Setsuna would asked that or should she answer with a response even she wasn't positive on. Her instincts told her to return any pain Ami would feel twice over to whom ever dealt it. However, that wouldn't be right in this case. If she hurt Rei for doing anything to Ami, it wouldn't be right. Her anger would be misplaced. The one her anger should be directed at the one who put Rei in that position in the first place. Makoto felt a hand squeeze her own and she looked to her left. She smiled at Ami and turned over her hand. The girls intertwined their fingers and Makoto looked over to Setsuna confidently.

"I don't think Rei would harm Ami, but even if anything were to happen, I couldn't blame Rei. So no, my feeling would not waver."

Despite herself, a small smiled crept onto the timeless senshi's lips. She looked over to the blue haired senshi of ice and asked her a similar question, "Would your feelings waver if, by chance, Rei were to harm Makoto?"

Ami smiled, expecting the question, especially after Makoto had been asked it already. "I won't waver. In the unlikely event that Rei attacks Makoto, I'll stand between her and any attack. I wouldn't let Makoto get hurt." Ami said, and finished her last sentence while looking at the brunette beside her. As though being draw together by some invisible force drew even closer together.

"I'm satisfied." Hotaru said, interrupting the two girls with a wide smile on her face. The two girls pulled apart and youngest senshi was met by a pair of very red faces looking back at her.

"As am I." Setsuna said.

Both girls got up and began to take their leave when the youngest of their group spoke called to them once more, "Please ask Usagi-san to come in next."

Both girls turned around and looked at Hotaru questioningly. Even Setsuna turned to her fellow outer senshi, seemingly not expecting her want to question Usagi as well.

"Usagi? You don't really think she has any reservations, do you?" Makoto asked.

Hotaru shook her head, "I'm going to talk to her about something else."

Setsuna's eyes remained fixated on the other girl, she was about to question her but she realized the two inner senshi were still in the room. The senshi of time looked at Ami and Makoto and once they both caught her eyes, Setsuna spoke to them. "Could the two of you give Hotaru and me a few minutes before asking Usagi to come here?"

"Sure." Ami replied and took Makoto's hand and ushered her to come along with her.

Setsuna watched as they left before looking back over to Hotaru. "What are you planning to tell Usagi?"

"I'm confident Usagi-san will succeed in helping Rei-san, but this is more than just about Rei." Hotaru said looked at Setsuna seriously. "I'm not the seer you are, but I do know what my visions left me feeling. Many things have the potential to be altered depending on our Princess's efforts from this point on."

"You're forgetting that Rei can change things as well, if she takes the course of action I expect her to. It'll soon be two-person act between those two and neither Mamoru nor I will have any say in their choices."

Hotaru studied the senshi of time for a time before asking, "You've resigned yourself to accept Usagi-san's choice?"

"It was always been out of my control; I just needed to be reminded of that by someone. I will take the path that I must to give Usagi that chance to make her choice." Setsuna said. Hotaru was about to question her about what she meant, but her ears detected someone entering the room again.

"Hotaru-chan? Setsuna-san? You wanted to see me as well?" Usagi asked.

Hotaru turned away from Setsuna and addressed the room's new occupant, "Yes. Please sit down." The young girl motioned to the loveseat in front of her, Usagi silently complied, and she waited for one of the two outer senshi to say something.

* * *

Diana walked past the threshold and down the marble stairs to what appeared to be a courtyard. A courtyard of more marble, with pillars lining the walkways, or rather they seemed to at one time, because very few of them seemed to stand at their full height any longer. Diana walked to approximately the center of the area, when she stopped suddenly. From where she stood she could see things that she couldn't see from inside. More specifically, she could see a large round world of blue and white hanging in the distance. Though it was farther than it appeared, she felt she could descend there with minimal effort. She closed her eyes and silently concentrated on planet in the distance, concentrating on what she could feel from the planet.

"Enjoying the view?"

Diana opened her eyes and addressed the new presence, "Yes. It's quite breathtaking from this distance."

"I thought that'd be your reaction." Kei said as she walked up beside Diana. "That is Earth. We are currently on its one and only satellite. That world is our target."

'They reside there then…' Diana thought and took a side ways glance at her companion, "When do we begin?"

"Eager?"

"Somewhat…I also want to observe these soldiers."

Kei looked at her companion oddly, "I don't believe that's a very good idea."

"Why would you say that? A warrior must prepare herself by studying her enemies." Diana said.

"I can tell you all you need to know about them. You'll only be putting yourself in unnecessary danger by going down there."

"I know how to handle myself and besides I like to scout enemies myself rather than rely on someone else's information." Diana said and paused before adding, "Of course, that doesn't mean I don't trust your information, I simply prefer to do this stuff on my own."

"I understand and I see your mind is already set on this, so I won't stop you." Kei said and bowed her head in defeat.

"Thanks, I won't be long…" She said and looked over at her companion, who seemed she had something to say.

"Wait." Kei said and motioned for the other woman remain still. "I'd like you to stop by my chambers in a little while, but I have to prepare something first. Feel free to wonder around here in the meantime though."

Diana silently mulled over the other woman's words for a few moments before settling on saying, "Just be quick." Her attention turned once more to the blue planet in the distance.

"You'll remain here then?"

Diana nodded, "Yes. If I can't be there at the moment, I wish to get a better feel of the planet from here. Perhaps I can even pinpoint our enemy's location, if I concentrate enough. We'll be facing enemies with unique auras, auras unique to the other planets of this solar system. I'm going to see if I can locate their general area with that information. They should be easy enough to find when I get there, but if I can recognize them from this distance, it'll make finding them there all the easier."

"You're a warrior through and through, I see." Kei commented as she turned around and began to head back to the building behind them.

"That is my purpose after all."

Kei smiled as she walked away, 'It is indeed…to fight and die.'

* * *

Usagi looked at both of her companions, waiting for one of them to start the conversation. It seemed only one of them was likely to say anything and Usagi's eyes focused on her, "Hotaru?"

"I'm sure you're already aware that much is dependent on you and even though I know you are sure of your self, I would like to ask you about the worst case scenario." Hotaru began. She took a breath before continuing, "What would you do if we are unsuccessful?"

"I won't let that happen." Usagi stated calmly.

"Let's just speak hypothetically. How far are you willing to go? Would you be willing to give up on what you know to be true and move towards something else? Would you give her your…"

"That's enough Hotaru!" Setsuna said, silencing the other girl. She sighed as she added, "It's not your place."

The room was pregnant with silence for some time before Hotaru lowered her head shamefully, "I'm sorry, you're right." She said before raising her head and looking at Usagi, "I'm sorry Usagi-san. I've stepped over the line with that. Please forgive me."

Usagi stared at young girl, not entire sure what she was apologizing for, she hadn't said anything that upset her. "That's alright Hotaru, but what…?"

"I believe Usagi's determination is without question." Setsuna said, interrupted the Princess before she could finish.

This time Setsuna received a quizzical look. There was something they weren't telling her and she wanted to know what they were keeping from her. "Why do I get the feeling both of you are trying to keep something you know from me?" Usagi didn't receive an answer. "If it's something important I want to know."

Setsuna started at Hotaru disapprovingly, she wanted to avoid this. They were in position to disclose someone else's deepest secrets. She sighed, she'd have to have to give Usagi some answer that would postpone further questions. "It's unimportant at the moment, but if it puts your heart at ease, you'll surely discover it for your self shortly." Setsuna explained.

"Thank you, Setsuna."

"You are welcome, Usagi."

"The matter at hand has not changed and even when you become Eternal Moon, it will be a difficult task. As Setsuna-san has said, this is old magic, but strong magic. There's no telling whether she further fortified the spell somehow either. Though I believe what I saw as I awoke, I believe you are the only one that can return Rei-san to normal. It might be a lot to put on your shoulders, but you'll need to endure it until you bring Rei-san back to us. The fact that we know Rei-san hasn't given up should help us as well because I'm sure she'll be fighting on the other side." Hotaru said.

"I will not fail." Usagi said, she remained undaunted. She continued to hear that the task ahead of her was difficult, but she would not waver.

* * *

Kei folded a piece of paper before slipping it inside what looked to be an envelope. She held the flap shut with her fingers as she thought, 'It would be bad if she sees this…I need to make sure only Serenity can read it.' She tapped her finger on the arm of her chair as she tried to remember how to create a seal that only one of the Serenity bloodline could open. She smiled triumphantly when the way finally came to mind. She put the letter down unto her lap and closed her eyes. She held her palm over it and whispered a few words. After a couple seconds the paper began to glow a dim shade of gold, although it only lasted for a few seconds before the paper returned to normal. Kei opened her eyes and grabbed the letter again just before she heard knocking on the door to her room.

"Come in!" She called to currently empty room. The doors opened to reveal Diana, bring a small smile to her face. "Perfect timing." Kei quickly put the letter behind her back; there'd be time later to discuss that.

"You've finished what you needed to prepare then?" Diana asked as she stepped into the room.

The other woman nodded her head briefly before responding, "Yes, but first I'd like to talk to you about the warriors that will oppose us."

"What about them?"

"There is one who will be our primary target, because without her they'll be broken." Kei explained.

"Their leader?"

"Something like that…" Kei said trailing off. Diana looked at her strangely, as though wanting her to elaborate further. When Kei saw how she was being stared at she elaborated, "She's more like the one the others are charged with protecting."

Diana cocked her head to the side and asked, "Why is she so special?"

"That's not important for us to know. All you must concern yourself with is eliminating our enemies resolve and in order to do that our primary objective is to kill the one they protect." Kei said.

Diana thought what was said over for a moment. It was true, it was none of her concern as to why the warriors she'd be fighting act the way they do nor was it her concern to know more about the girl other than her fighting capabilities in order to eliminate her. "I guess that's true…then what's this girl's name?"

"Her code name is Sailor Moon, but her true name is Serenity." She replied and watched the other girl's reaction. She'd thought about using a different name, but in the end she went with the Princess' true name. She wanted to see if the name could cause a reaction in Mars

"…Serenity?" Diana mumbled under her breath. The name sounded vaguely familiar, though she couldn't figure out why that was.

"Is something the matter?" Kei questioned, sounding concerned.

Diana shook her head, "No, it's just that her name is unique."

Kei smiled, "That it is." He smiled faded as she reached behind her back and pulled out a small, thin, white paper. She held it out to Diana and said, "I want you to give this to Serenity." Diana stepped forward and took the paper, which she realized was an envelope once she took it. Diana took it and turned it over and inspected it briefly, one side read Serenity while the other side was were it was sealed, before being interrupted by her companion. "That is for her eyes only. Do you understand?"

Diana nodded and the letter disappeared from her hand. "She will receive your letter."

"Thank you." Kei said and bowed her head for a second. "You should be aware that I want to finish this as soon as possible and that I expect much from you in order to accomplish this."

"That will not be a problem. My skills are unparalleled and there is no fear to fight." The Martian warrior said confidently.

"You are the star of Ares, even as you walk on that planet's surface, do not forget that. Walk among them as a proud warrior."

"I shall not forget that." Diana said and turned around.

"Be sure to return safely as well!" Kei called as the other woman began walking away.

She stopped and called back, "I don't think that will be a problem." After her statement Diana continued on her way, leaving Kei to herself.

* * *

Usagi had arrived home some time ago and after a quick meal with her family, she retreated to her room. They went their separate ways, from Makoto's shortly after Usagi called for everyone to return after she spoke with Hotaru and Setsuna. It was earlier than she usually would go to her room, so she received a few curious looks from her family, but she reassured them she was just tired. In reality, she'd gone up to her room to think, to think about their current situation. To think about what they were preparing to do. What her mind was focused on at the moment was her conversation with Hotaru and Setsuna. Hotaru's words still echoed in her mind as she lay in her bed.

' _How far are willing to go? Would you be willing to give up on what you know to be true and move towards something else? Would you give her your…'_

'What was she going to say? Setsuna stopped her before she could finish. I've told her that nothing will stop me from succeeding and I mean that. I'm sure Hotaru knows I'm serious. So, what does she believe can make me flatter now?' Usagi thought as she closed her eyes. She tried to think of words that could finish Hotaru's statement, but everything she came up with made little or no sense. 'If there's something I have to give up to help Rei, I'll do that.'

Usagi sat up as a thought crossed her mind, 'My life….is that was Hotaru was going to say?' she thought to herself. 'It made some sense…the future we've seen I'm alive…she asked how far I was willing to go…and it fits with the question she didn't finish.' Even though it shouldn't be an easy question to answer, Usagi didn't have a shred of doubt in her mind. 'If it came down to it…if it came down to my life or hers, I wouldn't hesitate to give up my life.' Even as she thought about it, she was calm. A person shouldn't be calm about dying, should they?

Usagi shifted so that she was sitting with her legs dangling off her bed, her feet resting on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she a dark patch of fur on her pink bedding. Usagi placed her hand on her feline advisor and petted the small animal's black fur. After a few minutes she spoke, "Say…Luna. Do you think it's strange that I'd give up my life if it would return Rei to normal?" Usagi didn't look at the cat as she asked her question although her attention was on what the cat's answer would be.

Luna looked up at her charge, "Usagi, you're a kind and selfless girl who'd do anything for her friends. So, I don't think it's weird. I think you care about your friends a lot and you're resolute desire to keep them safe is quite admirable."

Usagi continued to stroke Luna's black fur as she spoke, "Thank you Luna." After a little while longer, Usagi stopped, "Luna? Did you notice Rei acting strangely before she was kidnapped?"

Luna was too startled by her charge's question to react. She hadn't expected her to ask  _that_  after all this time, but her thoughts unconsciously traveled to that morning she exchanged words with the fiery miko. That was the first sign to Luna that Rei was acting unusually. Luna was about to answer, but she wondered if it was best to confirm her charge's suspicions or to play dumb. She chose the latter, "I didn't notice anything."

"Then maybe it was just me that noticed…" Usagi said and paused, looking thoughtful for a few moments before continuing. "Rei and I were closer than we'd ever been, at least I thought so, but around the time Mamoru returned she started acting differently."

Luna stared at Usagi strangely, though the Moon Princess didn't seem to notice, 'Did she just call Mamoru…Mamoru?' "What's brought all this on?" Luna asked, choosing not to question her charge about her thoughts, instead deciding it was likely a slip of the tongue.

Usagi sighed, "I've just been thinking about…things…a lot of things." She paused for a moment as though she were reflecting on the things she just mentioned. "We're going to try Hotaru's plan when we meet Rei again and once she's back to normal I want…I just want to…"

Luna looked at her curiously, "You want to what?"

Usagi remained silent for several minutes and just when her feline companion was going to prompt her once more, she spoke. "I want to talk to her again, I want to be able to hug her again, I just want her to be with me again….God, I miss her Luna…"

Luna sigh silently, "I know Usagi, I know." The black cat placed her paw on her charge's thigh.

Usagi looked out her window silently; she began to feel the urge go out there. She glanced at the clock beside her bed, it was later than she thought, but she wasn't tired. She weighed her opinions and eventually decided to follow the urge she was feeling. "Luna, I'm going go out for a little while."

"It's getting late though. Don't you think you should get a good nights rest?" The black feline asked.

"I know, but I feel like taking a walk to be alone with my thoughts. Maybe the cool night air will calm me because I don't think I can fall asleep like this." Usagi said and walked over to her closet. She opened the door and pulled out a pair of sandals she kept in there for occasions like this; where she didn't leave through the front door, which was where she always removed her shoes. She slipped them on her bare feet and knelt on her bed to open her window. Usagi looked at the black cat once more, "I won't be out long." She said and stepped through the window.

Luna jumped on the window's ledge and watched Usagi leap off her roof and onto a nearby tree, as she'd seen many times in the past. 'I wasn't much help…' She thought as she continued to watch the girl disappear into the dark.

* * *

'It seems as though few people wander about once it gets dark.' Diana thought as she walked across another street. She seemed to walking around aimlessly, but she was simply allowing her legs to carry her wherever they desired. She could feel that there were only a hand-full of auras that could be the warriors of this planet, but there was no sense of urgency to locate them. If need be, she felt she could easily find them. Her first stop would be the one who felt the strongest, 'She'd likely be the one named Serenity.'

Diana walked down many streets already, but she found herself stopping as a near overwhelming sense of nostalgia washed over her. She looked around until her eyes focused in on the start of a long stone stairway. 'Why do I feel such a strong pull from this place?' she thought as her hand felt the wooden sign on the street. Of course, she was on Earth in order to scout the Sailor Senshi, but she also wished to explore this Earth city, Tokyo. This was the city they resided in and it can be good to know your enemy's environment. At least, that's what she reasoned as she stood at the foot of the seemingly endless stone steps.

"Hikawa Jinja…" Diana mumbled under her breath.

She looked past the sign and up the steps, although she couldn't see the top, she felt as though she could already imagine what it looked like. Diana took a step towards the steps, the entrance to the shrine and thought, 'Perhaps I should inspect this place closer…'

Diana slowly brought her left foot on to the first step in order to begin her ascent. There was no strategic reason for her to investigate this shrine, but there was little reason for to ignore the place either, especially after the feeling she got when she first stepped in front of the entrance to the shrine. She sighed and looked up the long walkway once more, 'Whatever it is about this place, I'll discover it soon enough.' She thought and took another step, but paused mid-stride of her next step because she heard something behind her, approaching.

"Rei!"

Diana didn't know why, but she felt compelled to stop and look over her shoulder at the person calling for 'Rei'. A young girl, who seemed to be about her age, was standing a short distance behind her. She was breathing heavily, as though she'd been running for some reason. Her hair was done up in a most particular style, there were two buns on either side of her head with two long pigtails trailed from them.

The two girls stared at each other for some time before the blonde's eyes grow blurry and she could no longer hold eye contact. For her part, Diana continued staring at the other girl with a raised eyebrow. 'What in heavens is wrong with that girl?' Before the dark haired girl realized what was happening she felt a pair of arms around her waist. "Hey…!" She yelled, trying to worm away from the strange girl, she didn't even respond to Diana yelling at her. She merely continued muttering that same name over and over again. After quite a lot of struggling, she freed her arms, which had previously been pined to her sides by the other girl. Diana grabbed the blonde's shoulders in an effort to push the other girl away, but she found herself frozen once she made contact with the girl's shoulders. 'Why didn't I feel this until now?' She questioned herself. What she felt wasn't unlike what she felt from other stronger auras that were situated around this city, yet the girl that was currently holding her held a very distinct one, 'Her aura is on a whole other level…it's limitless…'

Diana felt the girl loosen her hold a bit as she looked up at her; she finally seemed to realize there was a pair of hands on her shoulders, "Rei?"

'There's no doubt this girl must be…' Diana thought as she stared back at the other girl. She hadn't expected to be approached by one, let alone be hugged by one, but the facts were what they were and she would have to adjust herself to them. For whatever reason, she seemed to be happy to see her, even though she got her name wrong, she could see that the advantage was hers. Diana smiled and the blonde did the same, though with more gusto, "Hello Serenity."

Usagi's eyes widened and her arms around her companion loosened further. Diana took that opportunity to push the other girl away from her finally. Usagi stumbled back a few steps from the force and barely maintained her footing. Usagi stared at 'Rei' in disbelief, the fleeting hope that unwilling built up in her heart was all too easily crushed. She tried to will the questions that she wished to ask to leave her lips, but all she could do was stare blankly at 'Rei' as she smiled coldly at her.

"I'm glad you showed up here, you saved me the trip of looking for you, Serenity." Diana said and took a step toward the stock-still girl.

End Ch. 29

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was nice to write out everyone's resolve in this chapter. And of course the end leads into a difficult confrontation for Usagi.


	30. The End Approaches! Invitation to the Final Battle!

Chapter 30 – The End Approaches! Invitation to the Final Battle!

* * *

Usagi was already several blocks from her house when she realized where her feet were taking her. She didn't have any specific destination in mind when she left her house; she only wanted to be alone to her thoughts. Perhaps it was those same thoughts though that carried her so close to her missing friend's home. The blonde thought about turning around and walking back home, but decided against it. She was already more than halfway to the jinja and for some reason she felt she should continue there.

She maintained the same course she'd been on until moments before. She allowed her mind to drift back to her previous thoughts as well. Her thoughts centered around one thing, or rather one person. She had plenty of reason to be thinking about Rei and ever since she was kidnapped, the miko was never far from her thoughts. What happened earlier made her feel guilty though. Even when she saw the condition Rei put Mamoru in, her thoughts weren't where she expected them be, at least not entirely. She was worried about the Prince of Earth, sure, but he wasn't the first concern on her mind, despite his condition. She tried to tell herself it was because Hotaru was there, so Mamoru wasn't in grave danger and that Rei was once again taken from her so there was no guarantee she was safe. That reasoning was plausible, but she couldn't get herself to believe it. The reason seemed hollow in her mind for some reason.

Usagi sighed, she wasn't getting anywhere like this. The cool night air didn't seem to help her sort out her thoughts. She'd hoped to clear her mind, but the more thought she put into it, the more confused she became. She had thought about going over to one of her friend's to talk, but it was already late and she didn't want to burden them. For some reason though, she never found herself worrying about that when it came to Rei. Perhaps part of that was because irritating Rei was a talent she seemed to specialize in without even trying. 'Although…' Usagi thought back to the occasions she'd woken the miko up in the middle of the night, usually through a phone call. 'Rei never seemed angry…well  _too_  angry. Even that one time…'

* * *

Flashback (Shortly after Usagi tells Rei that Mamoru left)

"Who is it!" Rei called with at mix of irritation and anger.

The shrine had already been closed for hours, yet the incessant rapping on the door to the main shrine, forced her out of her warm blankets just after she'd gotten comfortable. Her Grandfather was away at the moment and Yuuichirou slept on the opposite end of the shrine, which meant he slept as far away from Rei's room as was possible, something she silently thanked her Grandfather for insisting on. So, by default it was Rei the one who had to answer the demanding visitor.

Rei reached the entrance and swung the doors open angrily and with every intention of severely chastising whoever was at the door. That was until she saw who was standing there, "…Usagi?"

Usagi silently stood in the entry-way for a few moments before asking, "Can I come inside?"

For a moment, Rei thought about mentioning how late it was but thought better of it. She didn't want to drive the girl away after she came all the way to her home; it wasn't exactly very close to Usagi's house. Rei stepped aside to allow the other girl room to enter, "Sure." Rei closed the door and locked it. She urged Usagi inside the main shrine and once both girls were inside, Rei asked, "What is it Usagi?"

The blonde haired girl looked around for a moment before speaking, "Is it ok if we go to your room?" She'd been to the jinja more time than she could remember, but she felt most comfortable in Rei bedroom, mostly because that's where they spent most of their time when anyone was there.

Rei shrugged her shoulders, "That's fine."

Rei and Usagi walked silently to the miko's room and though she tried no to let it show the silence worried her, 'Usagi isn't the silent type.' Once they reached her room, Rei slide its door open and motioned for Usagi to enter first, which she did. When she stepped inside, she noticed the messy blankets on the ground and the futon beside them. It looked like Rei just threw her blankets off and went to the door.

"Did I wake you?"

"It's nearly one in the morning, Usagi." Rei stated matter-of-factly.

"Right…" Usagi muttered softly and turn her head away from Rei.

The darker haired of the two sighed silently, "It doesn't matter right now anyway." She said dismissively as she knelt down and fixed the blanket on the floor. When she was done, she crossed her legs and looked over to Usagi who was still standing. "Well come on, have a seat." Rei said and patted the floor beside where she was sitting. Her companion nodded and sat down on the offered space.

As soon as she sat down she started to feel stupid for bother her friend over something so simple, 'I should have just called instead.' She thought to herself. She could feel Rei's eyes on her, so she knew she had to say something. She started to get up, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you like this."

The blonde was stopped by a hand around her wrist, "Usagi, you can't just come over here and wake me up at one in the morning, and just to leaving without telling me what's wrong in the first place."

Usagi looked down and said, "I'm sorry. You're just going to think it's something stupid."

"Let me be the judge of that." Rei said and released her friend's wrist. "Now sit down and tell me what's wrong." She ordered.

"I had a dream…" Usagi started, she glanced at Rei to see if she was laughing, she wasn't, so she continued. "A youma was attacking the city and everyone was there, even Mamo-chan. No matter what we did we couldn't stop the youma and then one by one everyone died protecting me." She looked back at Rei again and said, "It was horrible everyone was gone and I was left all alone! I don't want that to ever happen! I don't want to ever lose you guys again." The tears that were threatening to fall throughout finally succumbed to gravity. Usagi fell into the miko's arms, surprising her.

Rei held the other girl as she cried. "Usagi, dreams are just that  _dreams_ , they aren't real. You don't have anything to worry about, they can't hurt you. Your mind is simply manifesting your fears about losing your friends, but we're not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere, we'll be together forever."

"But it felt so real…" the Moon Princess mumbled into Rei's night shirt.

"Some do seem real, and yes that can make them frightening some times, but you wake up from them and realize they  _aren't_  real." Rei said and held Usagi closer, "Believe me; I'm not going to leave you ever. I promise I'll be with you until the end of time."

Questioning crystal blue eyes looked up into amethyst ones, "You promise?"

"I promise." The dark haired miko said with a smile on her face.

End Flashback

* * *

She sometimes worried the other girls would be jealous or upset that she went to Rei as much as she did when she had any problems. She didn't want them to think she was 'playing favorites', because in her mind at the time she wasn't. Usagi couldn't understand it, they bickered almost constantly around everyone else, but when they were alone Rei was always gentler and just overall nicer. It was those times when she was alone with Rei that she probably missed the most.

As the entrance to the jinja came into view, she noticed someone standing at the foot of the steps looking up. Usagi stared at the person, somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected to see anyone else there. She was also kind of hoping she wouldn't see anyone that could identify her, namely Rei's grandfather and Yuuichirou. It was too dark to make out exactly who it was standing there, but the figure didn't match either of them. As she slowly drew closer she could clearly make out that the figure was female. She had a very familiar look about her, to Usagi's eyes. It suddenly clicked in her mind, the resemblance was uncanny, but still she doubted herself a little.

Was she seeing things? Could it really be…? Before she realized what she was doing, the word that was on her mind left her lips. "Rei!"

Her heart stopped as she watched Rei. She stopped when she called her! That was a good sign, right? She no longer had control over her actions. She ran to the other girl, completely ignoring the small voice in the back of her mind warning her to be careful. She stopped just short of her, she wanted to be closer, she wanted to be sure. She wasn't sure how her legs carried the distance they did, in what could have only been seconds, but she found herself breathing heavily as a result, though she remained focused on the girl in front of her.

She noticed Rei start to turn her head towards her and when she was finally looking at her, Usagi met her eyes. The dark haired girl seemed to be studying her and even though she couldn't see the recognition she was hoping in her eyes, Usagi's eyes grew blurry the long she maintained eye contact with her. The dark haired girl had turned around fully to face the blonde, it was clear to her that the girl with the weird hairstyle was about to cry. She raised an eyebrow at the strange girl, although the small change in her expression wasn't noticed by the girl with the odango hairstyle.

Usagi enveloped Rei in a tight embrace, she heard Rei say something at the unexpected contact, but she didn't let go, she didn't want her to run away like she'd already done before. Usagi chanted 'Rei' over and over again, but stopped when she felt the other girl's hands on her shoulders. Hope swelled up in her heart as she loosened her grip and looked into the other girl's eyes. "Rei?"

The dark haired girl stared back at the blonde, but didn't reply. She appeared to be surprised, but remained calm for the most part. After staring at each other a little longer, the dark haired one finally smiled. Her smile was returned, although the other girl's enthusiasm behind her smile was much greater. While she didn't expect the other girl to take the actions she'd taken up to this point, she still had a job to do. "Hello Serenity."

Usagi's eyes widened and her grip on Rei faltered to the point where she was barely holding on to her. Usagi felt the hands on her shoulders grow firmer and with one strong push, she knocked Usagi back several steps. The Moon Princess stumbled slightly as stepped back awkwardly. All she could do was stare at her friend, the small hope that had built up was scattered by one action. She wanted to question her, but her throat felt tight, it wouldn't allow her to voice any queries.

"I'm glad you showed up here, you saved me the trouble of looking for you, Serenity." Diana said and took a step toward the frozen girl.

* * *

KNOCK KNOCK

Setsuna turned to her door and called, "It's open."

The door opened slowly and one who knocked seemed to enter just as slow. The short black hair gave the intruder away easily, since she was the only one in the house such hair. Hotaru stuck her head inside and looked as the senshi of time, "I'm not bothering you, am I?"

Setsuna shook her head, "Not at all." She motioned for the other girl to enter. Hotaru nodded and entered the room fully, shutting the door behind herself as she walked in. The older woman watched the other girl take a seat in the loveseat in front of her. "It's quite late though Hotaru. So, what brings you to my study?"

"I wanted to talk to you about a few things."

Setsuna nodded, "Even though you know some things the others don't, I'm still limited in what I can tell you."

"I understand that, but nothing you can tell me will hurt the time stream, I promise. My questions have to do with how to handle our enemy after we help Rei-san." Hotaru took a deep breath before continuing. "All our efforts thus far have been put towards returning Rei-san to herself, but even after that occurs she still must be dealt with. I'd like to have an idea about her powers, what kind of abilities can we expect her to possess?"

"I do not know. When I fought with her all those years ago and when I saw her again in this time, she possessed irregular strength. I don't know the extent of that strength nor do I know what new techniques she may have learned since the Silver Millennium. I can only believe that she improved herself since that time, which means she'll be difficult to handle."

"Am I correct in assuming Queen Serenity imprisoned Kei…that is her name correct?"

"Yes, on both accounts." Setsuna replied.

Hotaru was silent for a short time before speaking once more, "Is Usagi-san capable of doing the same thing?"

The senshi of time nodded her head slowly, "Yes, but we're already asking much of her. If Kei is as beyond reason as I believe her to be, it would be best to end her life."

"Do you think Usagi-san could really kill another person?"

"The Princess? No, I don't believe she is capable of that." Setsuna said earning a curious glance from the Hotaru. "However, assuming we're successful in returning Rei to normal, who'll be able to stop her from killing Kei, justifiably of course."

Hotaru was silent as she thought about what the older woman said, 'Sure it'd be justifiable, but we're not talking about a youma, they we're talking about a person, as twisted as she might be. Rei-san wouldn't sully her hands like that, she knows better than that. Besides, even if it came to that…' "Usagi-san. Usagi-san would stop Rei-san from committing such an act."

"She would certainly try; I have no doubt of that. Our Princess is too kind for her own good some times. Kei already proved imprisonment won't make her change and I don't believe that it'll be any different if she's sealed away again. For Rei, it'd be difficult to hold back. I'm sure you can understand why it'd be hard. Imagine if you were in the same position as her, being forced to hurt someone you care about as much as she cares about Usagi. You'd want to erase the person making you do those things against your will from the face of the Earth."

"I understand what you're saying, but her death shouldn't come by Rei-san's hands."

"However, you know you'd invoke your power of death if Kei becomes too dangerous." Setsuna commented.

"It's my job to govern over death as it's yours to govern over time and if the only solution is to end Kei's life I will make sure that fate is carried out. Death is my burden to bear." Hotaru said quietly.

The room fell silent for some time after the senshi of death and rebirth's statement. Eventually the older woman sighed before saying, "I don't wish to see your hands covered in blood either, Hotaru. While you may govern over death you're too young to fully understand the weight that burden can bring."

"You might be right, but that doesn't change my feelings." Hotaru said before pausing for a moment, "Besides, while I don't fully recall the entire incident I understand my hands already have blood on them…"

"But you also brought about rebirth with that act. What we are talking about now is different. There will be no coming back in this case." Setsuna reasoned.

"I know." The young girl said simply.

Again the room fell silent, for the really wasn't more to add. "Was there anything else?" Setsuna asked.

The youngest senshi thought for a moment when one other question entered her mind, "Actually yes, I haven't had the opportunity to ask you yet, but why did you have the change of heart? Why are you backing my plan?"

Setsuna was silent as she thought back to her trip to the gate to the past. "I became enlightened on my last trip to the Gates. You are here for a reason, that I can't deny, and I've decided to step back and allowing things to happen as they will."

"She won't sit back and allow us to free Rei-san, will she?" Hotaru asked cautiously.

"I can deal with her." Setsuna said. Hotaru stared at the older woman skeptically. "As long as her aim remains the Princess' life, I will do everything in my power to stomp out that ambition."

"Can you handle her on your own though? You said yourself that you aren't aware of the extent of her powers now." Hotaru asked.

"Don't worry, Hotaru. I  _am_  aware of how much her strength has increased since I saw her all those years ago,  _very_  much aware, but I won't allow her to harm our Princess or get in the way of our plan." Setsuna said and paused, "I think it's about time you went off to bed. I have a feeling  _all_  of us are going to need our rest for the coming fight."

Hotaru nodded her head before standing up. She paused and looked at Setsuna thoughtfully, "Did you see if we'd be successful?"

"It remains unclear." Setsuna said

"I see." Hotaru muttered quietly, before starting to leave the room.

"However…" The senshi time began, causing the other girl to stop, "…saving Rei from this is the only way I see us having a hopeful future." She looked at the younger girl to see her reaction and noticed small smile crack her previously solemn expression. If nothing else, her statement gave Hotaru further assurance that they were headed down the right path. Without another word she left Setsuna to herself.

* * *

"Do not worry; I have no intention of starting anything at the moment." Diana said and watched the other girl relax. A small smile crossed her lips, "You're the gullible type aren't you?" Diana raised her hand to prove her point and gauged the girl's new reaction. Usagi noticeably flinched, by instinct more than anything. The dark haired girl lowered her hand and smiled wider, "Relax…if I was lying, you'd be dead already."

Usagi didn't know how to react to Rei, but it was clear that she was toying with her. She could tell without a doubt that this wasn't the Rei she wished it to be. Although, despite any kind of threat the fire senshi could say to her she didn't feel in danger by them. She felt certain Rei didn't pose any threat to her, despite what she'd seen her to do to Hotaru and Mamoru, first-hand in the case of the later. It was perhaps illogical, but she  _knew_  in spite of everything, Rei wouldn't hurt her. "You can't kill me." Usagi retorted.

Diana cocked her head slightly to her right, "And why is that?"

"Because I know you, Rei." Usagi said calmly.

Diana frowned a bit, hearing that name again. 'Is she fixated on that name or something?' "I'm afraid you're mistaken, my name is not Rei."

The blonde's face fell; she'd heard the other girl deny her name before, but hearing her deny it again drained much of the hope she had. "Do you still not remember anything?"

"Remember?" Diana repeated and tilted her head to the side, "I don't have anything to remember." She said seriously.

Usagi shook her head slowly, "You're wrong. There's a lot you have to remember."

Diana studied the other girl for a few minutes, before settling on saying, "Is that so?"

"It is. If you remembered, you wouldn't be acting like you are. I know you well enough to know that. You're not the cold person you're acting like. I can feel the pain you're in right now." Usagi said her vision blurring as she spoke.

'By Gods, she's starting to cry.' The dark haired girl thought as she watched the girl. She felt a mixture of annoyance and pity for her; she suppressed the urge to call her a cry-baby. "I'm not in any pain." Diana contradicted.

The princess of the moon shook her head, "Not physically…." She said and covered her heart with her left hand. She reached out to the other girl with her only free hand and covered her heart. Diana froze at the feather-light touch, "In here…"

Diana stared at the hand touching her chest; she was at a loss for words. 'This girl is so different than what I was expecting.' She thought to herself. 'Of course, their names and abilities are the only important things to know, but it seems this girl, Serenity, has an ability I wasn't aware of.' Diana's eyes traveled up the girl's arm and soon she was eye to eye with its owner once again. She was about to chastise the girl for touching her like she was, when the blonde haired girl spoke again.

"Please listen to me. If you'll hear me out, I promise your feelings will change, but please don't disappear from in front of me again."

Diana's expression didn't change as she listened to the other girl and she waited until she was done before saying anything in return. "Maybe we'll talk…if you remove your hand from my chest."

Usagi blinked confusedly and looked at her hand; her cheeks turned a light shade of pink and quickly retracted her hand. She hadn't realized she still had her hand there as she talked. She looked down before apologizing quietly.

'Strange girl.' The darker haired one thought as she watched the other girl's embarrassed mannerisms. "Listen, I don't have any interest in simply standing around here all night, so say your piece."

Usagi looked up when her companion addressed her, she sounded irritated and thus far nothing had been said to change her mind, but Usagi intended to change that now. "Rei…" she stopped when other girl shook her head. She continued before the other girl could say anything in response, "I will not call you by another name, you are Rei and that's what I'll call you." She paused to see if the other girl would have something to say, but she simply sighed and remained quiet otherwise. "I didn't think I'd have another chance to talk with you, away from any battlefield. I was worried about you when you were taken away after our last encounter. I'll glad that you don't seem to have been hurt, at least physically."

"Again, what makes you think I've been hurt?"

"To understand that, you have to understand what's happened to you. You have to understand what I'm telling you is the truth, and you should be able to tell if I'm lying anyway." She paused and watched Rei nod her head slightly. "You're my friend, my close friend and you have been for sometime now. We've fought together through many battles, but a short time ago a new enemy made themselves known. You were lured into a trap and they kidnapped you. In your time away from me, your captor cast a spell on you to give you different memories. You've been made to think I'm your enemy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. That's what she wants you to think because she wants you to kill me."

Diana was silent through out the other girl's explanation and once the fantastic tale was done she spoke her piece, "So you're telling me I've been kidnapped, lied to, and my memories have been altered all for the sole purpose of killing  _you_?" Usagi nodded her head affirmatively at the questions. "I'll admit you aren't lying, because you truly believe what you're saying, but tell me…what makes you so important that someone would go to such lengths to kill one person?"

"I don't know." Usagi answered honestly. "I would have rather faced any attack directly than for her to have used you as she has. I would have given myself to her if it could have spared you the pain you're in."

"You seem as though you'd be very comfortable throwing your life away."

"It wouldn't be thrown away if it could save you."

'She's serious…what's wrong with her?' Diana asked herself, but she had no answer so she reacted the only way she could. "I don't believe you, nor do I accept your lies. You've certainly come out with one amazing story though, I'll give that, but you've done nothing to convince me of anything."

"Why does it seem you've fallen further away from me?" Usagi said and extended a hand toward the other girl.

The dark haired girl slapped away the seeking hand and glared at its owner, "Don't touch me! Who do you think you are? Don't try to touch me so casually, like you did before. We're not friends!"

Usagi held her previously extended hand in her other hand against her chest. She could feel tears start to well up in her eyes, but she tried to fight them back. It was a fruitless effort as they fell against her will. Words didn't seem to be helping her get through to Rei, no matter what she said. She felt completely helpless; nothing she said was getting through to Rei. She was running out of ideas as to how to get through to Rei. A stray thought entered her mind that she should just grab her and force her to stay, until she could get a hold of the rest of the senshi, because she feared Rei run off most of all and she knew if she couldn't get through to her that's exactly what would happen. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Rei speak again.

"Your life is nearing its end. I have no intention of fighting meaningless battles. Every battle I fight, I fight to win. In this case, that means I'll kill you." Diana said and looked at Usagi seriously. "You are something special, I can feel that and I can feel the power you possess. However, you are also pure of heart. That is not a good quality for a warrior to have, it'll only…"

"You're wrong! It's my ideals that have enabled me to win over all my past enemies. It's because of my ideals that I still believe in you."

Diana stared at her with a confused expression, 'This girl either seriously has me confused with someone else or she's insane.' "Have you no common sense? Why do you believe in me? What do you think I am to you?"

Usagi stared at Rei and spoke as serious as she'd even before, "I'm not the smartest person, but I  _know_  you Rei. I care about you; I care about you so much. Even though you're staring at me like I've lost my mind, I won't lose my faith in you. I won't…I can't…because you're too important to me."

Diana stared at the other girl, how did she justify her feelings? It made no sense to her…how can she care about a complete stranger the way she seems to. She shook her head, giving up on trying to understand the strange girl. "You're foolish! Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?"

"I don't care if I sound ridiculous, those are my feelings and they won't change despite what you say. I'll make you remember no matter what it takes." Usagi reached into her pocket for her compact and as soon as her fingers grazed its surface, Diana reacted.

Sensing the other's girl aura flare up, she quickly materialized a bow of fire to her hands, along with an arrow of flame. She held the weapon close to the other girl's neck, the tip of the arrow was no more than a fraction of an itch away from Usagi's skin. Usagi was frozen; she could feel the heat from Rei's weapon. It was so close to her face, but the heat wasn't as scorching as she thought it would be.

"You seem to be a nice girl, so don't make me hurt you right now. That's not why I came here today."

"I don't want to fight you either."

"Then why did your energy suddenly increase so much a few seconds ago?"

Usagi looked confused at the question, but she thought about it a few seconds and she realized what must have happened. She continued reaching into her pocket as she did before, she could tell Rei was pulling back the bow's string as she reached for her compact, but she didn't stop. She grabbed the metallic object firmly and pulled it out of her pocket and showed it to Rei. "This is what you felt."

Mars lower her bow and stared at the jewelry piece, at least it appeared to be a simple jewelry piece, but it radiated such immense power. She unconsciously let the bow and arrow disappear from her hands. She noticed the blonde touch the top of the compact, opening it. Nearly immediately, the object gave off a bright light, forcing Mars to shield her eyes. Usagi stared at the crystal in her compact, the Ginzuishou; she hadn't expected it to react like it did. Mars backed away a couple steps before falling to her knees. The senshi of Mars cried out in pain, she felt like she was dying. Usagi immediately closed the object in her hand, extinguishing the light it had been emitting. She quickly made her way to Mars.

Usagi's eyes widened as Mars' hand shot for her throat. She instinctively grabbed the other girl's arm as she grabbed her throat, dropping her compact in the process. She could feel herself being pushed back, but couldn't do anything to stop it. Mars pushed Usagi against the brick wall and shouted, "What the Hell do you take me for?" Mars pushed her harder against the cold brick and subsequently tightened her grip around the other girl's throat, causing her to whimper slightly. "I warned you already! You should have listened me and lived a little longer! But you couldn't do that, could you? No, you had to play that little trick!"

Tears flowed down Usagi's cheeks freely, but her eyes remained fixed on Mars. She'd never seen Mars as enraged as she saw her now. It scared her to see Mars the way she was at the moment. Usagi gasped for breath, realizing it was becoming harder and harder take in any oxygen. She frantically reached forward with both hands to where Mars' face was and as soon as she was able, she cupped both of her cheeks in her hands. "P-Please…stop…this…" Usagi gasped.

Mars stared at the blonde, her touch seemed to dampen the anger she felt for some reason. She loosened her grip around her neck until she'd completely released her. The blonde haired girl slumped to the ground against the wall. She let her anger take over and it clouded her mind, it made her forget herself and her reasons for coming down to Earth in the first place. She could hear the other girl coughing so she took the opportunity to undo her transformation. Diana looked down at the sidewalk; she hadn't intended to let things go as far as they did. The girl held a lot of power, but she was harmless for the most part, because she harbored no murderous intent. "I'm sorry to end things like this…I had hoped I could've simply talked to you, but at this time, I don't believe there is anything left to say." She started to walk away, but stopped. She snapped her fingers and a white envelope appeared in her hand. The dark haired girl turned around and walked back a little. She threw the envelope at other girl's feet, "That's for you."

Usagi looked down at what Rei threw. She could see the paper had something inscribed on its surface. She leaned forward to pick up the envelope; she brought it close to her face so she could clear read what it said. She dropped the envelope as soon as she read whom it was addressed to.

"We'll meet again and at that time, I will kill you." Diana turned away from Usagi and started to walk away once more from the still recovering girl, after a few steps she stopped, similar to before. "It's a shame we're enemies…you're kinda cute." She said and looked over her shoulder for a moment to see the other girl's reaction. She faced forward once more with a small, yet satisfied smile on her face.

Usagi stared at Rei's back as she walked away for several seconds before the reality of the situation sunk in; Rei was going to disappear again. "P-Please…" The word was barely a whisper and if she was heard there was no indication. She coughed a few times before speaking again, "D-Don't…go…"

This time it appeared she was heard, because Rei stopped. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, there is a time and place for everything, but this wasn't the time for that. However, I'll warn you to be prepared when we meet again." She started walking again, after a few steps she added, "Don't even think about following me." After wards, she sprinted away, her speed aided by her senshi abilities.

* * *

Off into the distance a woman in shining armor could be seen lying on the ground. A short distance away a dark haired warrior approached the lying woman; she'd tracked the woman from a star a short distance from their current location. She didn't know what happened but once the woman left, the star's light disappeared. That meant the woman had some questions to answer.

"As emissary of Queen Serenity of the Moon, I hereby detain you for questioning in regards to the disappearance of a star." The dark haired warrior declared. She waited silently for the woman to say something in return, but she didn't even so much as acknowledge that she wasn't alone any more. The warrior balled up her fists at her sides, "I don't know who you are, but if you refuse to say anything, I'll be left with no choice other than to use force!" She threatened.

"Big words for such an insignificant creature such as yourself." The person said, however the woman made no motion to rise, she just continued looking at the endless blanket of stars over head.

"If you are going to insult me, you better prepare yourself for a fight." The warrior said and entered a defensive stance.

"Are you a champion of that system?" The person asked and looked over to the other woman, while simultaneously pointing towards an area in the sky.

"I protect that system." She replied.

The woman seemed to study her for a few minutes longer before speaking, "No, you're not a champion. Am I thought that lightly of that  _you'd_  be the only one sent?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" The dark haired warrior asked angrily.

"You don't have what I desire, so be gone." The woman said with a wave of her hand.

"What do you mean, 'what you desire'?"

The woman stood up and walked over to the warrior, "I've changed my mind…you might be of some use after all…"

…

…

…

…..

…

.

Kei's head shot up, a loud noise could be heard booming through out her room. 'Why was I dreaming about that?' She questioned herself, when she heard the pounding again. An irritated look replaced the confused one on the woman's face, "Enter!"

The large doors opened and in stepped a large youma. He quickly made his way over the woman in the room. Kei sighed and looked at the youma with disinterest, "What do you want Ryuji? I didn't send for you."

"Are you sure it was wise to not have me follow her?" Ryuji asked, getting straight to the point.

"There is nothing to worry about. It's the middle of the night right now where the Sailor Senshi reside, so the likelihood she'd encounter any of them on the streets is minimal. Even if she does meet one of them, their words won't have any effect on her. Besides, I gave her a mission and she'll attend to that, all else will be unimportant when she reaches her objective."

"I could have done any mission you needed accomplished…"

Kei shook her head, "It'll have more of an impact on the Princess this way…"

* * *

Usagi sat on the cold concrete in front of the sign to the entrance to Hikawa Jinja. She hugged her knees against her chest and buried her face in her knees. Rei was gone again and she only had herself to blame. She had the opportunity to stop her, but she didn't, it was that simple. She looked up where Rei left, she was too far away for her to follow now. She whipped her eyes and noticed something reflecting the light from the streetlights, her eyes widened when she realized what it was. She quickly got up and walked over to the device. She opened it to see the jewel inside, 'Why did you react like that?' she asked the crystal. No answer seemed forthcoming from the object so she shut it was a downcast expression. Usagi dropped the compact inside her pocket again and walked back to the torii at the front of the shrine. She leaned against the wooden pillar and slid to the ground once more.

After a few minutes her hands went up to her neck. 'It's probably bruised…' she thought idly. It hurt. No.  _She_  hurt, in more ways than one. She could feel her eyes again fill with tears and she didn't fight them. Rei had scared her,  _seriously_  scared her. Usagi had to tell herself that the person she'd just been with wasn't Rei, not  _her_  Rei.  _Her_  Rei was a different person. Yet the fact that she had to keep telling herself that frightened her, she didn't want to lose the Rei she knew.

"Tsukino-san…?"

Usagi wiped her eyes upon hearing her name being called and looked up. "Ojii-chan!"

The short bald man just smiled, "Is something wrong, child?" Usagi was hesitant to answer, but the truth of obvious enough without her saying anything. "Does it have anything to do with my granddaughter?"

Her eyes widened slightly and she looked away from, her eyes focusing on the ground, "You could say that…"

There was a long silence, during which the elderly man sat on the ground as well. He noticed the girl beside him didn't seem very willing to speak, so he broke the ice, "You care a lot about my granddaughter, don't you?"

Usagi nodded her head slowly, but firmly answered him. "I do."

The aged man looked away from the teen and stared out toward the street. "She cares about you greatly as well." Usagi turned to him wearing a somewhat surprised expression. "My granddaughter built up a wall around herself ever since she was young. I fear her father is to blame for that; he was not cut out to be a single father. When she was put in my care she even maintained her distance from me for the longest time. It took several months before she allowed herself to trust me. Even though she has always been popular at school, she never let any one get too close. It didn't help that she goes to a Catholic school and lives in a Shinto shrine and practices its religion. Of course, that was her father's decision as well. He wanted her to have the best education and I'm sure you know about T.A's high standards. I do believe he meant well, but he didn't even ask her, her feelings about going there. She'd have probably be happier going to the same school you go to." He paused for a moment when he noticed his companion was staring at him intently. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling on aren't I?" He said and laughed throatily.

Usagi shook her head, "It's alright, I never knew." Usagi turned away from the elderly man and looked at the starry sky, "Rei doesn't tell me this kind of stuff, she keeps a lot of her feelings inside. It's frustrating sometimes; I wish she was more open with me."

Rei's Grandfather laughed again and looked at Usagi, "I know what you mean, but she does it to protect herself."

"I would never do anything to hurt her though."

"I don't believe you would, but I think my granddaughter still has trouble opening up to someone completely. I know she cares about you, but think she's afraid of losing you."

"That'll never happen." Usagi said, but let her mind drift to her current situation. 'I'm losing her right now though and if this continues much longer, I'm afraid I'll really lose her.' She thought to herself sadly.

"That's good to hear. I don't know what'd happen if she ever lost your friendship. Her whole world really turned around when you came into her life. She was much happier. She didn't spend all of her free time at the jinja; she actually went out like a regular teenager, which was something she didn't do before. I don't want her to ignore her duties here, but I also don't want her miss out on the life of a teenager." He paused for a moment to look at the blonde haired girl beside him, "You opened up that life to her."

Usagi held out her hands and shook her head slightly, "I-I think you're giving me too much credit…"

The elderly man quickly spoke up, cutting of the teen's statement. "I'm not. You were the first person I saw to crack the walls she put up. I'm sure she would have closed herself off more if you hadn't come to our shrine a few years ago. I doubt my granddaughter has ever expressed this to you, so I'll say it for her, I'm glad you befriended her."

Usagi could feel her cheeks warm causing her to look down, "It was nothing; Rei's been an irreplaceable friend to me as well."

"I'm happy you feel like that because I'm sure Rei feels the same. Through all of her hardheadedness you've remained her friend, which I'm sure isn't the easiest thing…"

"I wouldn't have her change though because her stubbornness is one thing that makes her, her."

"I think I understand why Rei cares about you so much." The older man said and smiled at the blonde girl beside him.

Usagi stared off into the sky once more, 'I'm  _that_  important to Rei?' She closed her eyes; she couldn't imagine her life without the fiery miko either, though recently she'd been forced to and she could truthfully say it wasn't any way she wanted to live.

"I trust you're taking good care of my granddaughter?" He said out of the blue and looked at the teen beside him questioningly.

Usagi froze for a moment, she'd almost forgotten about that lie she told him. Once she realized his eyes were on her, she quickly answered, "Y-Yes, I am." She hoped the elderly man didn't notice her hesitation.

"Well, tell her drop by soon, her Grandfather misses her. This place isn't the same without all you girls over." Grandpa Hino said and laughed a little afterwards.

"I-I will." Usagi as she fought to keep her voice level. She stood up so Rei's Grandfather couldn't see her face, "I should be going, it's late."

Grandpa Hino looked at his watch, "It has gotten quite late hasn't it?" he said when his eyes caught a white piece of paper the ground. He leaned over and picked up the object, "Did you drop something?" He turned the letter over and tried to read the name inscribed on it, but it was in a script he'd never seen.

Usagi turned to the elderly man and saw what he was holding. She noticed him staring at the writing strangely, "Is something wrong?"

He looked over to the blonde haired girl and said, "I've never seen manner of writing…did you write this?" He held out the envelope to her after his question.

Usagi shook her head as she took the letter, "No, it was given to me." She looked at the writing again and she could read it as clear as when she first received it.

Rei's Grandfather shook his head a little, "I think someone's playing a joke on you to write a letter in gibberish."

Usagi laughed nervously, she didn't understand why he thought the writing was 'gibberish', nor did she tell him she could read it just fine. She did however, take that time to say her farewell, "Well, I should be really go back home now."

The elderly man looked over the teen, "Yes, I believe that would be a good idea. Sayonara Tsukino-san and tell my granddaughter hello for me."

Usagi nodded and turned to leave, "I-I will and Sayonara Ojii-chan."

* * *

Setsuna sat at her desk writing and sighed. She'd told Hotaru everyone needed to get rest, but she'd yet to get a wink. Every thing was going to end soon one way or another and she felt the need to make her final preparations. She knew one outcome would require these preparations done before they left for the final battle and that left her with little time. It's funny how someone who commands time can't seem have enough of it. She closed the notebook she'd been writing in and opened the top draw of her desk and placed it inside before closing it again. She took a notepad from on top of the desk and wrote down one sentence, but it would be enough. Afterwards, she put the pen down and stood up leaving the notepad on top of her desk.

Setsuna walked over to the door of her study. She opened the door and stepped out of the room. After looking back for a few minutes, she turned off the light and closed the door. As she began to make her way to her room her mind drifted back to her last trip the Gates. She'd promised to let Usagi choose the path she wished to take on her own and she'd keep that promise. Of course, one choice would mean a lot more work for her, but it would be unavoidable. If Usagi could regain all of her past memories, there wouldn't even be a choice, there'd only be one option, but she needs to remember on her own. There's no right or wrong and someone will be hurt either way. 'Whatever she chooses, I'll protect that choice.'

* * *

Usagi entered her room through her window in her usual quiet manner. She'd become an expert at leaving and returning to her room through her window without being detected by anyone. It was essential because youma seemed to enjoy attacking in the middle of the night. Usagi spotted Luna lying close to her window on her bed, but she didn't disturb her. Instead, she bypassed her bed entirely for the most part. She quickly slipped off her shoes and sat at the desk beside her bed. She turned on the lamp on the desk and tore open the letter. It was written in the same writing as 'Serenity' on the envelope, so she threw the envelope to the ground and began reading.

Dear Princess Serenity:

I'll make this short and sweet Princess, so pay attention to what I've written here. I'm sure Pluto has already told you who I am, so I'll skip the introduction.

I'm sure you wish to bring an end to this as much as I do, so I have a proposition for you. I would like to invite you to one final fight. This fight will take place at a location of my choice, I'll notify you of where exactly tomorrow at the place specified at the bottom of this letter. It matters not whether you bring your senshi or not. I'm afraid your presence is required however, Princess. If you choose to not appear, I'm afraid I'll have to execute your solider of Mars. It's your choice, Princess.

You must realize by now that you can't change your senshi back, she's mine now. Of course, I'm sure she's still precious to you, so you'll do the right thing and show up. Does it hurt to see one you love forced to do another's bidding?

Usagi stopped reading the letter abruptly and reread the last sentence she read, 'Does it hurt to see one you love forced to do another's bidding? Love? What does she mean by that?' she asked herself. Of course she loved all of her senshi and friends, but she felt the woman meant something else. Usagi covered her mouth to prevent herself from blurting anything out loud. 'S-She thinks I love her like that?' she thought. Rei was special to her, but she'd never thought of her like that. 'Besides, Rei doesn't like me like that…' With that thought in mind she continued reading.

It must be painful, but it's not enough, not nearly. Even the pain you're feeling now pales in comparison to mine. Make no mistake; she deserves to suffer as much as you do, Princess. Once she kills you, I'll release her only so she can know that she took your life with her own hands and then I'll send her to Hades with you. You can then spend eternity together.

Follow all of these conditions and I won't harm your precious senshi before you arrive:

First, don't try anything funny, like trying to trace this. You should already know I cover my tracks very well from when you tried to determine your senshi's location.

Second, be in Juuban Central Park just after sunset. There will be someone there to tell you the location we'll bring an end to all of this.

Third, as I've already said, you must be at the location I specify.

I trust you understand what you need to do now, Princess. I'll be expecting you.

Usagi lowered the letter and placed it on her desk. She stared angrily at the letter; she didn't realize a simple letter could invoke so many negative emotions. 'She's using Rei's life like it's a bargaining chip! I don't care what happened in the past, she has no right to play with Rei's life.'

"Usagi, where did you get this?"

The moon princess jumped out of her seat and held her chest. She looked at the ground and saw Luna carrying the discarded envelope in her mouth.

"Luna! You scared me half to death!" Usagi hissed, trying to keep her voice down.

Undeterred, the black cat repeated her question, "Usagi, where did you get this?"

The blonde sat back down and grabbed the letter she'd placed down, "Rei gave this to me."

She offered the letter to the feline. Luna looked at the paper for a moment before saying, "Put that on the desk so I can read it." Usagi complied and place the letter back down. Luna leaped on the desk stood over the letter as she read it. The black cat was surprised by some things the letter said, but considering where it was coming from, how much of it was true? She looked up at her charge who was watching her, "She intends to kill you if you go to this place, Usagi."

The teen shook her head, "She intends to make Rei kill me. And if I don't go, she'll kill Rei, I'm sure. I won't let that happen, I'll save her no matter what."

Luna stared at Usagi, 'She  _really_  determined.' She hadn't seen Usagi this determined Chibi-Usa was manipulated by the Black Moon. 'She knows it won't be easy and yet…' "Usa…" Luna started to say, when she was cut off by her charge.

"I'm prepared, Luna. I'm prepared to do what ever it takes to bring Rei back." Usagi said and gave the cat serious look, "I won't accept anything else."

It was clear that her mind was focused, but the black cat was a little scared as to where the single-mindedness could lead Usagi. 'A small change of subject might be in order.' She thought when an idea struck about the letter. "Do you know how this letter was written?" Luna asked. The Moon Princess shook her head. "There is no doubt that the person who wrote this has extensive knowledge of the Silver Millennium and they wanted it to be something only you would understand."

"I don't …"

"Usagi, it's written in the same script we used back then."

* * *

Diana walked down a long hallway, her high heels clicking against the floor loudly. She rubbed her temples as she walked; her journey to Earth hadn't been at all like what she expected. Rather, the girl she'd encountered, Serenity, hadn't been anything like she expected. The girl wasn't threatening in the least; in fact she was quite the opposite. 'If all the warriors turn out to be like her, I might have to change my tactics…' She thought as she reached a set of double doors. She pushed the doors open and walked inside; closing them once again once she was inside. She headed straight the bed against the far wall. She flopped backwards on to the fluffy surface. After a few minutes of laying there she held her hand up in the air. She turned it so she could see her palm, 'I nearly killed that girl with this hand.' She clenched her hand into a fist and punched her hand into the bed she was laying on, "How can I be such a hot-head?" She asked the empty room.

She got up and began to pace the room, a part of her, a dark part, was angry she didn't finish the job. Another part of her was disgusted with herself for coming so close to killing an unarmed girl; it was that part of her that drove her to apologize for her actions. While it was true she possessed a strange object, the one that gave off the light, it was by no means a weapon, she didn't know what it was but she was sure it wasn't a weapon.

KNOCK KNOCK

Diana looked at the door for a moment; she didn't particularly want to talk to anyone. She wanted to sort out her mixed feelings and to do that she didn't want company. Against her better judgment she opened the doors for the person knocking.

"I trust you delivered the letter?" Kei asked as she entered the room.

"I did."

"That girl you delivered the letter to is our primary target. She must be eliminated at all costs."

"She isn't any threat." Diana stated simply after listen to the other woman.

"Oh…why is that?"

"I just know it from speaking with her. She can be dealt with without killing her."

"Impossible. She must die." Kei said firmly.

"Are you saying you don't trust my judgment? I know how to read people and I was able to read her easily. She is extremely powerful, but she isn't dangerous nor a threat, her powers lie elsewhere. She doesn't have the desire a warrior should have, she's…she's different." The senshi of Mars ended with that, not knowing any better way to describe the girl.

"Then she deceived you." Kei said quietly and walked over to Diana and put her arm across her shoulders, "Let me explain something to you…" She started to lead the Martian warrior to the room's doors, "There are individuals that know how to manipulate others by making them believe they are something that they aren't. You shouldn't allow yourself to be fooled."

"I felt her aura though. She's the purest being I've ever encountered and that can't be faked."

Kei opened the doors and walked out with Diana, "No one is  _that_ pure, I can promise you that. Even the purest being still has a bit of darkness within them, it's impossible for a being to be devoid of darkness. I have it within me and you have it within yourself as well."

"I would never claim to be pure."

"Nor would I, which is why I'm telling you she tried to deceive you." Kei said and stopped. Diana looked out to where her companion was looking. As far as she could see there stood the ruins of the other half of palace they were in, it looked like a war zone. "She used to live here a long. long time ago. What you see out there is how this place looked when I arrived, that was how she left it. I was only able restore part of it."

"Are you saying she was responsible for what happened here?"

Kei shrugged her shoulders, "I couldn't say I wasn't here." She watched the other girl's reaction carefully before deciding it would be best to leave her to her thoughts. "I must be going now, but be sure to get enough rest tonight. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow…"

Diana nodded her head, "I'll be prepared."

"Very good." Kei said and released her companion. She turned around and began to leave the senshi of fire alone, she only took more look over her shoulder before continuing on.

* * *

Usagi lay in her bed, she didn't know how much sleep she was going to get, but she prayed it'd be enough to give her the energy she knew she'd need tomorrow. She was sure she'd be late for school, since she'd have to be up in four hours to be on time, and that was out of the question. School wasn't her top priority though, as seemed to the case most of the last few years. Any normal girl her age would be worried about high school entrance examines, but not her. She was worried about her best friend's life being in the hands of a psychopath. She turned on to her side so she could see out her window and took a deep breathe.

She closed her eyes, trying to let sleep overtake her. Sleep never seemed to be an obstacle for her in the past but after reading that letter she still felt too awake. Though because sleeping had never been a problem for her, she didn't know any methods to make herself drift of to sleep. She had heard counting sheep made it easier, it sounded silly, but anything was worth a shot. Before she knew it she'd reached one hundred with little effect. She sighed and turned on her back before staring up at the ceiling. She focused on a certain part of the ceiling that wasn't particularly unique, it was just something to focus on, and hoped her body would reach its limit and she'd be forced to sleep. Thankfully, it wasn't long before she felt the pull of Hypnos, expect it was at that time that her mother's words chose to echo in her mind,  _'Follow your heart…_ '

"My heart…" Usagi whispered sleepily.

The words echoed again in her mind, ' _Follow you heart_ …'

"I am…" She whispered back.

Again the voice persisted, ' _Follow your heart_ …'

She didn't know what to say to make the voice be silent; she'd finally just begun to drift off the sleep too. She didn't offer a verbal response this time; instead she hoped to appease the voice by giving more thought to its words. ' _Follow my heart_ ….I am. My heart told me to pursue Rei. My heart tells me to continue believing in her. My heart tells me I can bring Rei back. And my heart tells me…my heart tells me…' Her train of thought trailed off with that final realization. Usagi sat up sharply, surprising the black cat beside her, throwing her off the bed, in fact.

Luna pulled herself off the ground and stared at her charge. She was about to ask the girl what was wrong, when she saw the girl laying back down calmly after the sudden out-burst. She jumped back on to the bed and walked around Usagi's body to see her face, though it was hard to see, the light from the outside gave her a little bit of a better view. She was noticeably crying to the black feline's eyes. Luna opened her mouth again as though to say something, but stopped when she noticed an odd expression on the young girl's face. She almost seemed happy…

Usagi had her eyes closed as she made a promise to herself, 'Tomorrow will be different…I won't fail you again. I promise I'll be there and I'll protect you, Rei. I'll bring you back.' Usagi turned her head up, so that she was now looking directly out her window and made one more promise, a silent promise, a promise that would likely change everything, but it was a promise she had to make. Afterwards, she closed her eyes one final time, this time she was finally granted sleep.

End Ch. 30

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of stuff happens in this chapter, it's really one of the most important in the entire story. Looking back at it, there was perhaps more to digest then most people realized in there.


	31. Fateful Night under the Stars Act I

Chapter 31 – Fateful Night under the Stars Act I

* * *

Usagi woke with a start; her mother was pounding on her door and yelling for her to get up. Her head turned over to the clock on her desk. 7:33 The time flashed on the clock's display. She shut her eyes for a moment and sighed, 'I knew it'd be like this.' She heard her mom call for her again. "I'm awake, mom!" She called back. After a few seconds she could hear her mom call back. She didn't hear everything, but she got the gist of it. It essentially had to do with her needing to hurry or be late. That was already a fore-gone conclusion as far as she was concerned; it was now simply a matter of how late she was going to be.

She slid out of her bed and padded across her room to the door. Usagi opened her door and stepped out to make her way over the bathroom across the hall. She shut the door once inside and turned the water on in the sink. She cupped her hands under flowing stream until a small amount gathered in her hands. She splashed the lukewarm water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror above the sink. Her eyes widened as she stared at her reflection. She tilted her head to the side to get a better look at the side of her neck. She touched the finger shaped bruises gently. They didn't hurt as bad as they looked, but she'd have to cover them up somehow, she didn't want to have to answer the questions the bruises would bring.

She closed her eyes for minute and thought back to the previous night's events that caused the bruises. She shook her head afterwards. There wasn't any point thinking about that, it only conjured up negative feelings. There was no doubt in her mind that things would be different when they meet again. There was no sense thinking about the past when it was the present and future that she needed to focus on. 'The future eh…' she thought on that for a short time when she realized something, she had a link to the future. And she didn't live too far away. She didn't really want to ask the senshi of time about the future, but it was important. Anything Setsuna could say wouldn't change anything she planned to do, when she thought about it. Though, the older woman could clear her mind of any lingering doubts. There's a lot at stake tonight…a lot…and it all starts with getting Rei back.

"Usagi, aren't you finished yet? It's getting late!"

The teen was brought out of her thoughts by her mother's voice. She needed to take shower before doing anything. Usagi walked over to the bathtub and turned on the water for her shower before disrobing. Once she was finished, she put her hand under the water, testing it. Satisfied with the temperature, she stepped into the bath and took a quick shower. She shut off the water and exited the tub after she finished. She dried herself. Afterwards she wrapped the towel around her body and exited the room.

She returned to her room and went to the desk beside her bed and opened the top drawer. She pulled out a few items cosmetic items and set them on the desk before sitting down on the chair at the desk. With the aid of a small mirror, she applied concealer to the dark spots on her neck. When she finished she inspected her work, it looked much better, but it still looked a bit off if you looked close enough. She felt satisfied with how it looked now; she didn't want to add too much make-up because that'd likely draw more attention and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Usagi…?"

The young girl nearly jumped out of her seat at the unexpected noise. She hastily put away all the items she'd been using and got up. "Hi Luna. I didn't know you were awake yet." Usagi said and walked over to her dresser, opening the top drawer.

The black cat watched the teen search through the dresser and pull out a bra and panty set as well as a pair of socks. When Usagi let the towel she had wrapped around her drop to the ground, Luna looked over the clock in the girl's room. She debated asking the girl about what she was doing at her desk, when she awoke, but held back once she saw the time and another question entered her mind. "Shouldn't you have left for school already, Usagi?"

The blonde looked over to her bed, where Luna sat, as she fastened her bra behind her back. "I'm not going to go to school today." She said calmly and put her arms through the straps.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't answer her right away; instead she slipped on her underwear. Once done, she looked at the black feline seriously for a short time. When she broke eye contacted, she walked over to her closet and opened it, taking out her school uniform as she said, "I thought about it Luna and there's something I have to do before meeting Rei again."

"The letter said not to do anything until tonight. Why not just call a meeting for this afternoon? I can…"

Usagi shook her head, " _I_  need to do this Luna. It's important that I do this and I'd rather do this without everyone around."

"What about the other girls? Won't they be worried if you don't show up at school?"

She froze for second at her question, the last time she ditched a day of school everyone got drawn into a fight. She didn't think that would happen this time though, but just in case… "I'll send them each messages and tell them not to worry. I should be able to make there before lunch break." She paused and looked at Luna thoughtfully, "Luna, there is something you can do for me though."

"What did you need me to do?"

"Could you find Mamoru and tell him to be at Mako-chan's…around four? He should be at work now, he doesn't have school today."

"Where will you be going?" The feline asked her charge.

"I'm going to Haruka and Michiru's house." She stated and began putting on her uniform.

Luna watched her as she finished getting dressed, 'Why would she be going there?'

"Can you let him know Luna?" Usagi asked and picked up her school bag. She made her way to her door, but stopped and looked over to the black cat expectantly.

"I will."

Usagi smiled, "Thanks." And with that she left her bedroom.

* * *

Diana stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her before leaning against it heavily. She didn't sleep well at all and she still had reservations about what she'd been told she had to do. While it was true that girl's power unrestrained could be very dangerous, it wasn't, she controlled it well…unlike herself. Unrestrained power in anyone's hands could be dangerous. She didn't wish to commit herself to killing the girl if it could be avoided, like she believed. It was that thought that prevented her from achieving the peaceful slumber she wished for. She sighed audibly. She feared that she wasn't fully prepared for her next encounter with the girl or the other warriors she'd been told about, for that matter. Perhaps, she wouldn't have to fight  _too_  soon, though her instincts told her otherwise.

She couldn't deny a part of her wished meet that girl again. There was something about her and she couldn't put her finger on exactly what that  _something_  was, but it did worry her a little. It's never a good to have any feelings for your enemy. She did find the Serenity girl attractive; perhaps that's what it was. At least, she that's all she hoped it was. 'I'll be happy when this is all over…' She thought but froze immediately afterwards. "When this is all over huh…" She muttered under her breath. What was next? She didn't know nor did she plans for anything afterwards. Everything, all her thoughts, have been about finishing the task at hand, beyond that…there's nothing. It was almost as though she were some machine with one objective to complete and had nothing else when done. She shook her head at the ridiculous thought and chalked it up to her sleep deprived state.

She wandered away from her room and set off down the hall. 'I need some fresh air.' She thought and turned left at the first corner she reached. She walked straight down that hall until she reached an archway with a set of doors; it was the end of the hall. She pushed the doors open and stepped through them. She shivered as she stepped away from the building; the large star was giving light and warmth to the opposite side of the satellite. She didn't like the cold; she was out of her element in it. She silently called upon her power to warm herself, which she did successfully. She walked down the few steps outside the doors and headed to one of the many pillars that surrounded the building. The raven haired girl touched the marble-like surface and immediately noticed something…'It's magically enchanted.' She tired to figure out what exactly it could do, but came up empty. 'It's infused with strong magic…I can tell that much.' Her hand dropped from the column and she turned around, someone was coming. She watched the person emerge from the building and walk up to her.

Kei's eyes strayed from the young girl to the object she stood next to, "They serve an important purpose. First, they provide a barrier for this place, the barrier itself provides two types of protection. It's impossible to penetrate this barrier without knowledge of this place's exact location. The barrier also makes this place invisible to the naked eye, at least to the eye of one without magical abilities." She explained, answering the girl's unasked question.

"Who made them?" Diana asked.

The woman smiled at the question, "Someone who died a long, long time ago. When I came here they still stood, for the most part, and while it wasn't a simple task, I reactivated them." Diana nodded in understanding. It was silent for a short time, before Kei spoke once more, "Come. There is much we need to discuss." She said and motioned for Diana to follow. She simply nodded and walked behind the other woman slowly.

* * *

"Should I wake Hotaru? She might be hungry." Michiru asked the woman across the table from her.

Haruka bit into her toast after a few moments she swallowed the piece, "Let her sleep, she won't be able to sleep like this much longer." She said and took a healthy drink of orange juice. "Besides, she's been a little anxious the last couple days. I think she's worried about something, but she's keeping it to herself."

"What do you think it could be?"

"I'm not sure. If it were a vision of some kind of danger, I'm sure she would have told us, she's been upfront with us about everything so far." She paused for moment, seeing concern on the other woman's face, "It's also entirely possible that I might be seeing something that isn't there as well." Haruka added

"I trust your instincts, Ruka." Michiru said and smiled warmly at the woman across the table. She lost the up-turned expression when she spoke again, "Should we ask her about it? If it's something we can help her with, we should. She's our responsibility. She doesn't have any other family."

The other woman nodded her head slowly, Michiru was right. Even though she didn't act like it much, she was still a child. "It'd probably be a good idea. Though, I'd like to see if she'd come to us first."

Just then the door bell rang. Both women stood up, but Haruka held up her hand and said, "Don't worry, I've got it. It's probably no one important." The blond stood up and exited the kitchen. She walked to the front door, when she reached it the bell rang once more. She sighed to herself, the person seemed quite impatient. She looked through the peephole on the door, 'Usagi?' Haruka quickly threw open the door.

"Bunny? Is something wrong?" The sandy blond asked, fearing the worst at the sudden appearance of the Moon Princess.

Usagi shook her head quickly; the thought that maybe she should have called ahead of time crossed her mind then, "No. No. It's nothing like that."

"That's a relief." The other woman responded immediately. She then realized what time it was and asked, "Shouldn't you be at school, Usagi?"

The blonde in question blushed and smiled sheepishly, "Yes…I will be there shortly. And before you ask, I already sent the girls messages that I'd be late today and not to worry. I just wanted to talk with Setsuna about something first. May I come in?"

Haruka stepped aside and motioned for the other girl to enter, which she did. She shut the door and looked at Usagi, "What did you want to talk with Setsuna about?" she asked curiously.

The teen didn't answer right away, choosing to stare at the ground instead. "I'm sorry Haruka…I'd like to talk with Setsuna first."

The taller girl nodded her head slightly, prompting the other girl to apologize once again. Haruka shook her head this time and said, "Nah…there's no need to apologize to me. If you need to talk with Setsuna about something, I'm sure it's important." She paused and added, "She was in her study when I came down earlier, she's probably still there. Do you remember where it is?"

Usagi nodded, "Yeah, thank you Haruka." She started to go up the stairs when another person entered the room.

"Ruka, who…." Michiru began as she entered the front-room, but noticed someone unexpected hurrying up the staircase next to Haruka. "Oh, Usagi! What brings you here?"

She stopped midway up the stairs and turned to address who just spoke, "Good morning Michiru. I need to talk with Setsuna about something."

Michiru was about say something else when she saw her partner shake her head quickly, as if she sensed what the other woman was going say. "Oh, well it's good to see you Usagi."

The other girl smiled in response, "It's nice to see you as well." She said before continuing her trek up the stairs.

Once Usagi was out of sight, Michiru addressed her companion, "What was that about?"

Haruka shook her head, "I'm not sure, but whatever it is it seems she only wants to talk to Setsuna about it." she said and shrugged. "Come on…let's finish breakfast for the time being." Haruka said and her arm around the other woman's shoulders.

They both walked back to the kitchen and took the same places they were in before. After no more than five minutes, Usagi walked into the kitchen with her head lowered. The two women looked up at the new arrival. They each thought the same thing…that was  _way_  too quick. Plus, their Princess looked to be more disappointed than anything.

"Usagi, what's wrong?" Michiru asked.

"She wasn't there." She replied simply.

"What do you mean?"

"Setsuna. She wasn't there, Haruka." Usagi explained. She sat down at the table with the two outer senshi, "I'm sorry, but do you mind if I stay for a little while until she returns?"

"Not at all, are you hungry or did you want anything to drink?" Michiru offered.

"Some water would be nice." She answered. Michiru walked over the refrigerator and took a bottle out and walked back to where Usagi sat. She handed her the bottle and the moon princess smiled before thanking the other woman. The room was silent as the two outer senshi watched the teen as she took a healthy drink from the bottle.

"You look tired. Did you sleep well last night?" Haruka asked.

She put the bottle down on the table and leaned back on to her chair, "I didn't get very much sleep last night…" She paused upon seeing the questioning looks she was being given. She didn't want to go over why it was that she didn't sleep well, but she could see that question was coming if she didn't offer up some answer now. "Something happened last night that prompted me to do a lot of thinking."

"What happened?" Michiru asked.

"I saw Rei last…"

"Rei?" Both women explained in unison.

Usagi nodded her head, "Yes, but I wanted to discuss this with everyone this afternoon. It's important that both of you, along with Hotaru and Setsuna are there. I promise I'll explain everything at Mako-chan's place after school."

"When should we be there?" The senshi of wind asked.

"Four." She answered and paused for moment. "I haven't actually run it by Makoto yet, but I'm sure she won't have a problem with it." She said, laughing a little at the end.

The other two women shook their heads at her. Michiru got up from her seat and put her hand on Haruka's shoulder when she walked past her, prompting the other woman to look up at her. "I'm going to take a shower and get changed now. I'll be back down shortly."

Haruka nodded and watched as her lover left. Her eyes fell on the younger girl again, "Are you sure it's nothing I can help you with, Princess? There's really no telling when Setsuna will be back."

Usagi smiled briefly, "I know, there's just something I wanted to ask her before tonight."

"Alright, but I'll be here if there's anything you want to talk about." She said and went about finishing what was left of her breakfast. Usagi simply sat there, though a couple times she appeared as though she was going to say something, but didn't. She mostly played with the bottle she had, taking a sip from it from time to time. Haruka took her time finishing, once there was finally nothing left she got up, took her plate over to the sink, and place it and the utensils she had been using in it. She turned on the faucet and began washing hands, when she was done Usagi finally spoke.

"How did you know it was true love with Michiru?" Usagi said out of the blue.

Haruka turned around and leaned against the sink behind her, "What brings this on?"

Usagi didn't seem to expect that question, so she quickly offered up the best answer she could think of. "I-I'm just curious."

"Curious…eh?" Haruka questioned as she scrutinized the younger girl. The Moon Princess blushed under the other woman's gaze, prompting her to smile charmingly.

"Haruka, I'm asking you a serious question. Please answer me seriously."

"Okay. Okay." Haruka said holding up her hands defensively. "You asked how I knew it was true love with Michiru, but that's hard to say, it's just something I knew. One thing that  _was_  different was that I wasn't ever serious with anyone until I met Michiru. Of course, we got off to a rough start, due to my own denial of certain things." She said and thought back to her time before she accepted her senshi duties. "Even though I didn't let myself acknowledge my feelings for Michi, I think they were always there from the moment I met her. We had a connection that I couldn't ignore. When I finally accepted my destiny, I also gained a partner for life on the battlefield and off. We understood each better than I thought possible, we know what the other is thinking without having to voice it. At that time, no even before then, I knew there could be no one else for me."

"The two of you are truly soul-mates then…" The younger girl muttered, almost inaudibly. She fell silent for a short time afterwards. She felt a little more relaxed after listening to Haruka. Even though she didn't get an answer to the question she came ask, she felt at ease with her decision whether it was right or wrong only time would tell. She glanced that the clock on the wall across the room, it was getting later and she'd have a bit of a hike to school from her current location. "I think I'll be going Haruka. Thanks for your help."

'Help?' She thought, feeling somewhat perplexed. "Didn't you want to wait for Setsuna?"

"It's alright. I should head to school anyway. I shouldn't skip the full day. Besides you said it yourself, there's no way to tell when she'll be back anyway, right?"

"Yeah, that's true but…"

"It's okay." Usagi said with a warm smile. "I'll see her later any way." She collected her bag from the ground and started toward the door.

Haruka was behind after a few moments, "Do you want me to give you a ride? It'd be a lot quicker."

She stopped and appeared to be thinking over the offer before shaking her head, "No, I think I'd like to walk. Thanks for the offer though." She reached for the door and turned the knob. "I'm sorry to have dropped by unannounced like I did."

"Its fine, drop by when ever you want, I won't complain." Haruka said with a small smile.

Usagi smiled in return and opened the door. "I'll see you this afternoon, be sure to be there." She said and stepped through the door.

"Don't worry, we'll be there." The senshi of wind assured her.

Usagi nodded, "Thanks." She called before skipping away.

* * *

Diana continued to let Kei lead her until they reached a pair of familiar doors. Kei pushed the doors opened and let her companion enter first. When they were both inside she closed the doors and they continued deeper into the room. Kei took her familiar seat, towards the end of the room. She took one deep breath before speaking, "Everything has been set in motion to bring an end to this fight. The letter you delivered was the beginning. After reading the contents, Serenity will without a doubt come look for a fight."

Diana stared at the other woman with unblinking eyes, "I-I'm sorry…what?"

"It's exactly as I said. If everything goes as it should, this will all end tonight. A speedy resolution is best, I'm sure you can agree to that." Kei explained.

"Yes, but…"

"Are you not pleased, Diana?" Kei asked.

"A quick end is always preferable. A long drawn-out fight only leads to unnecessary causalities."

"There are always causalities; it's unavoidable in any conflict. If you can't handle the consequences fighting you should be fighting." Kei stated.

"That's not the issue."

Kei leaned forward a bit and asked, "Then what is?"

"I…I just have some things on my mind, that's all…" Diana said and trailed off somewhat as she looked away from her companion.

"Such as…" Kei said encouraging the other woman to continue.

She turned her head back and wore an expressionless face. She didn't like the implication that she was weak. "Nothing important, there's no reason to have brought it up." She said dismissively.

Kei looked at her as if she didn't believe her, but she disguised it quickly and stood up from her chair and walked down to Mars. Mars made no movement and only watched Kei approach. Kei stopped in front of Mars and leaned down to the younger girl's ear, "I'll keep you away from the fight if you can't…" she said softly.

Mars felt hot breath on her ear as Kei talked, but remained unemotional, "That won't be necessary, I'll handle them." Mars said. This wasn't how she hoped it to happen, but there was no doubt in her mind that she could handle anyone. Of course, she couldn't say that she had any desire to kill the girl that she'd already been told she had to kill. 'This would be the quickest way to see her again though and at that point I can decide what to do.'

Kei had feeling that Mars must have just thought something, but for some reason she couldn't read her mind that time, but dismissed it as a misinterpretation. "You are dismissed, Diana."

She merely nodded and began to exit the room. However, when she reached the door she paused, "It's rude to try to read someone's mind without their permission. I've stayed out of your mind and I'll thank you to do the same in the future."

On the other side of the room Kei's eyes widened, 'She blocked me?' Diana didn't wait for any kind of response before leaving the still stunned woman behind. She wasn't surprised often but she was surprised right now. She felt something she hadn't anticipated to feel, especially when everything was in place exactly how she wanted it. She felt apprehensive about using Mars. There were better candidates to use, but using her added a special element to her plan.

"Can she really be trusted to handle the Sailor Senshi?" Ryuji asked as he stepped out from behind her 'throne'.

"This is what I have worked so long for. It is most ironic for her kill her princess, the one she should be protecting from harm, but more than that she holds on to these ridiculous notions of  _love_  and where has that gotten her. And yet even without knowledge of exactly who Serenity is, she does still seem hesitant to kill her." Kei acknowledged. She brought her hand to her chin in thought, "Perhaps it would be a good idea for all the key players to enter the fray." Kei said bringing a smile to Ryuji's face. "There is a task I need you to accomplish, Ryuji."

* * *

Michiru and Haruka sat next to each other on their sofa in their front room watching television. It had been nearly a half hour since Usagi left and there was still no sign of the senshi of time. After taking getting dressed Michiru woke up Hotaru, who was currently taking a shower of her own. Suddenly and without a word Setsuna entered the room with a cup of coffee and sat down on the chair beside the sofa.

After a few minutes of silence, save for the background noise of the television, Haruka asked, "Where were you?"

The older woman took a sip from her mug and replied, "I was just straightened up some loose ends."

"Bunny was just here." Haruka said casually.

The green haired woman stared at the woman who just spoke, "Usagi was here?"

"Yes. She said that she wanted to speak with you, but you weren't here." Michiru explained. "It seemed like she felt it was important, but after she talked to Haruka, she left. It was a short time ago, just before you arrived."

Setsuna turned from Michiru to the other woman in the room, "What did she talk with you about?"

"It wasn't much. She just asked me about how I knew Michi was my other half. I'm not sure why Usagi wanted to know, but after I told her how I knew, she up and left for school."

"Usagi-san was here?"

The three women looked to the door and saw the youngest of their group standing in the door way. Hotaru looked at the group curiously; she could have sworn she heard Haruka say something about their Princess being there.

"Yes. Usagi came by to talk with Setsuna, but she was out and she left before Setsuna could return." Michiru explained and slid closer to Haruka to make room for the other girl. Hotaru came inside and sat beside Michiru, who continued once she was seated. "Another important thing did come up while she was here though. She told us that she ran into Rei last night."

Setsuna closed her eyes for a moment, even though she regretted not being there when Usagi came by, she knew she did the right thing. Everything was going to conclude shortly and Usagi's conversation with Haruka sealed in her mind exactly what path things would take, that made it even more critical that she finished what she was doing, they were out of time.

"She also wants all of us to meet at Makoto's place at four to discuss what happened." Michiru added.

Hotaru looked at Setsuna, as though she was trying to read her, but she couldn't tell what the stoic woman was thinking at all. From the sound of things though, everything was drawing to a close…very soon.

* * *

Usagi stopped and leaned against the brick column and pulled out her cell phone from her backpack. She flipped it open and stared at the time. It was nearly lunch period, she expect to be back before then. As late as it was she surmised it was to simpler to wait outside the entrance until the tone sounded to signify the start of the next period. She took the time to send messages to her friend letting them know she was outside the school waiting for the next period to start and that she'd see them in their usual spot. She was sure they'd have their phones close by and they'd get her message before seeing her. Only a short time later, Usagi heard the noise she was waiting to hear. She wondered ideally why it never felt like it came that quickly when she was waiting for it in the classroom. She waited a bit longer for other students to start filing out for lunch before entering the grounds. At the first sign of other students she casually walked past the entrance. She quickly went to the tree that she and other girls always sat under; she knew that would be where everyone would go.

She sat down and leaned against the tree and scanned the area for her friends. She expected them to show up quickly and most likely be full of questions once they saw her. After only her third scan over the area she spotted her friends rushing over to where she sat. After weaving in and out of people, her three friends were finally sitting next to her.

"Where were you?" That was the first thing out of Minako's mouth.

Before she could answer, Makoto chimed in, "Yeah, your message only said you'd be a little late. The day is almost over."

"Some thing must have happened, right Usagi?" Ami asked.

"Okay. Okay. First…" Usagi said and looked at Minako, "I went to Haruka's place. Second…" She said and looked at Makoto this time, "I wanted to talk to Setsuna, but she wasn't there. I waited for her, but she still didn't show. Third…" This time she turned to Ami, "Nothing happened today, but something happened last night."

All three girls looked relieved to have the initial questions answered but that just brought more questions to mind. Usagi knew exactly what was coming next though, "It's Rei. I saw her last night, and she gave me something from the woman behind all this."

"What did she give you?" Minako asked.

"A letter, which reminds me…" Usagi said and looked the tall brunette in their group. "Mako-chan I hope is alright, but I kind of already step up a meeting at your place after school. I sort of wanted to discuss all of this with everyone then."

Makoto shook her head slightly, "Its fine, that's where we've been having meetings mostly anyway."

"Sorry, I didn't ask first."

"Don't worry about it." Makoto said dismissively.

The school bell toned after that, informing them break was over. All four girls stood up and headed toward the school. Ami looked over to Usagi, "I hope you have a good excuse thought out, or you might get in trouble."

"Eh…an excuse." She replied and thought about it, actually she hadn't really thought about it. Usagi put her hands together and gave the blue haired genius her puppy dog eyes, "Ami-chan, help me think of an excuse." She begged.

* * *

_A few hours later at Makoto's apartment…_

"I don't think I have to say it, but this is obviously a trap."

That was the first statement after Usagi finished. Everyone looked at Haruka after what she said. None gave a response, mostly due to them knowing she was right. The whole thing reeked of a trap to all of them, even Usagi herself. Usagi just went over the events of the night before, leaving out a few details. She didn't tell them that Rei hurt her like she did. It was between Rei and her, she reasoned with herself.

"But we don't have any other choice." Minako reasoned.

"This is the opportunity we've been looking for, isn't it?" Ami asked the group optimistically.

Hotaru nodded, "It is. We know Rei-san will be there and all of us will be as well…this is the time we've been waiting for."

"Actually Hotaru I wanted to ask, what's the first step in our plan?" Usagi asked.

Hotaru smiled, "I'll restrain Rei first and after that we'll have the opportunity to give you your power-up. The rest will be up to you then."

Everyone looked at Hotaru curiously, but only one among them voiced their question, "Restrain her  _how_  exactly?" Minako asked.

Again the young girl smiled mysteriously, "You'll see."

The room became silenced as some tried to determine what the senshi of death and rebirth had planned, while others were simply thinking about the coming battle and what would happen afterwards. "We should leave shortly." Setsuna suggested, getting everyone's attention, something that her suggestions often did.

"Let's move out then." Haruka said and stood up, the waiting game wasn't any fun anyway. The rest of the group stood up and began to file toward the door.

"Usagi-san, do you think I can have a word with you before we leave?" Hotaru asked

The Moon Princess looked at Setsuna to see if they'd have enough time, she didn't say any thing, but the slight nod she gave her was enough. She stopped and watched everyone else walk out. When it was just the two of them, Hotaru shut the door and walked back to the center of the room. "Usagi-san, I want you to think seriously about what Rei means to you."

"I have been…ever since that night she was taken, Hotaru-chan."

"I'd imagine you have been." Hotaru said quietly. "It's not that I want you to just think about that, I want you think about how far you're willing to go to ensure our Rei comes back. If my plan doesn't work, I don't know what we'll have to do." Hotaru said seriously.

"What are you saying?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"I would prefer to not think about worst case scenarios, but I have to. If you can't bring Rei back as Eternal Sailor Moon, we may be forced to…" Hotaru started, but was cut off before she could finish.

"Don't say it! I will bring her back, no matter what it takes. If it comes to it, I'll use the Ginzuishou at its fullest potential…" Usagi paused when she saw Hotaru's expression, "I know what the consequences of that are, Hotaru. But I can't let Rei stay like that; I know it's tearing her apart inside."

Hotaru nodded, "I understand Princess. Please have faith in yourself and in Rei-san. I have feeling that even for Eternal Sailor Moon this will be a difficult task, so be prepared."

"Thank you Hotaru. No matter how difficult it may be, I will use every ounce of my power to bring her back." Usagi vowed.

Hotaru smiled at Usagi's determination, she didn't know whether such a determination was good or bad but she believed in her. 'She has truly grown into her role as this planet's savior. Her ideal to never let innocents suffer is truly her greatest asset. She will need all her will and strength on this; I just pray that that will be enough. There is one other option, but don't know how willing she will be to…' A knocking on the door cut off Hotaru's thoughts.

"I'm sorry but we really need to be going. It's nearly six and we need to get to Juuban Central Park before then. The message said to meet there at shortly after sunset." Mamoru said as he poked his head past the creak in the door.

"Ok, we'll be right out Mamo-chan." Usagi said and Mamoru nodded in response before shutting the door again. Usagi turned back to Hotaru, "Don't worry, everything will work out. I won't fail, Rei means too much to me for me to fail."

"Just so we're clear, your safety comes before Rei's. If things get out of hand…"

"Rei won't hurt me…" Usagi said as her hand unconsciously robed her neck through her turtleneck collar.

Hotaru stared at her blond friend curiously. She'd wondered why Usagi wore a turtleneck when it wasn't very cold out. "Usagi-san?" The girl in question quickly dropped her hand to her side, further piquing the younger girl's interest.

"Yes?" Usagi asked curiously.

"Let me see your neck."

"Wh-Why?"

"Please, Usagi-san."

Usagi sighed and lowered her head momentarily. She looked at Hotaru and reached up to her collar and pulled it down. The senshi of death and rebirth gasped at the purple and yellowish finger marks around the other girl's neck. She shook her head; she didn't think Rei would actually harm Usagi. She didn't have to ask the other girl for confirmation, it was obvious. "Come on and sit down. I can heal you if you give me a few moments."

"Thanks, Hotaru." Usagi said quietly. She sat down again and Hotaru walked behind her.

The dark haired girl held her hands over the other girl's neck. "You should have been more careful." Hotaru said as she began to heal her. "I know  _Rei-san_  won't hurt you, but she isn't herself right now. You know that."

"I understand that Hotaru, but I can't treat her like she's my enemy…I just can't do that." She paused for a moment, enjoying the warm sensation she received in her neck from the young girl's technique. "Rei's hurting far worse than these bruises ever could. I won't let her continue to be in pain any more. This may sound selfish, but I need her. I just haven't felt whole with her gone. I've been missing something that is such a part of me I didn't even realize it was gone until she was taken from me." Usagi looked over shoulder at Hotaru, "Does that make any sense at all?"

The senshi of death quietly listened to the other girl and at just about the same time as she finished talking, she finished healing her. She took her hands away from Usagi neck and walked in front of her. "It doesn't have to make sense, some feelings don't make sense they just are what they are. Take love for example, if some asked you why you love someone, you probably couldn't explain  _why_ ; it just is what it is. Sometimes you can love someone and not even realize it or realize it too late and that person isn't around so you can't tell them how much you care about them."

"Thank you, Hotaru."

She nodded in response before adding, "We should be going." Usagi nodded in agreement. With that, both girls left the room and joined everyone else outside.

* * *

Kei tapped her finger on the arm of her chair, it was nearly the promised time and for the first time in a while, she felt anxious. She scanned the room quickly but didn't notice any signs of the Ryuji. He was supposed to return as soon as he prepped the remaining youma for battle. 'It shouldn't have taken this long.' She thought and stood up. Kei now took to pacing in front of her chair, she despised waiting and she thought that was a fact that she'd made clear to Ryuji previously. After what felt like the hundredth time walking back and forth, though it was actually closer to the tenth time, she heard some noise toward the front of the room. She looked up and watched it for a moment before sighing and sitting back down. Kei watched the youma approach quietly and didn't say anything until he knelt in front of her.

"And…?"

"Everything is prepared." He answered simply

"Good. Now there is one more thing I need you to do." Kei said and leaned forward slightly.

Ryuji nodded his head, "Whatever you wish."

"It should nearly be evening in the city where the Sailor Senshi are, Tokyo. You should know of a place called Juuban Central Park, correct?" Kei asked, prompting the youma to nod. "Good. There you'll meet all of Sailor Senshi, I'm sure she'll bring all of them. Your purpose is to open a path for the Sailor Senshi to come here." Kei instructed. "If they show any hesitation make sure they understand they only have a limited amount of time before you close the path. Remind them if they don't take the opportunity given to them, Mars will die."

"So you only wish me to guide them here?" He asked

"Correct. Once they follow you, you are to return to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I will complete my mission flawlessly." He said and turned to leave.

* * *

Two cars parked in to the nearly empty parking lot at Juuban Central Park and their occupants left the vehicles and marched into the park. Once they were sure they were away from any prying eyes, all members of the group under went a transformation.

"So, where exactly are we supposed to be in this park?" Uranus asked.

Sailor Moon shook her head, "I don't know, the letter just said to be in the park and we're already here."

"I think we should just stay here. We're away from any civilians, just in case this gets out of hand here." Venus said.

"I agree. We don't know what to expect now that we're here." Neptune added.

Venus looked to her right at the blue hair girl beside her, "Mercury, scan the area for any youma." She instructed, but no more than a few seconds later an unfamiliar voice resonated through out the area.

"Ah…so you did decided to bring all of them, Princess?"

The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask looked around for the owner of the voice without much luck. It became clear who the voice belonged to when a large youma stepped out from behind a small group of trees. How such a large youma remained hidden from them behind a few trees was unknown to the group.

"She said you would bring the whole team." He said as he stared at Sailor Moon.

Tuxedo Kamen stepped in front of Sailor Moon, "Don't even think of trying anything, you're greatly outnumbered."

"I wasn't talking to you." The youma said angrily.

"Crescent Beam!"

Ryuji tilted his head to the side to avoid the beam of energy. "Tsk…tsk…this is not where we fight. I'm only your guide to setting of your demises."

"Just shut up and take us to where Rei is!" Jupiter yelled at the youma.

"Very well." Ryuji remarked quietly. He held his hand up and within a couple seconds a long pole formed in his hand. He grabbed the weapon tightly and looked back at the group behind him and smiled. With one downward swing, he cut open a gateway. Without any hesitation he started to walk forward, but stopped when he realized he wasn't being followed. "This will not stay open forever, so if you truly wish to meet with your senshi again you'd be wise to hurry."

Everyone looked at one another; they didn't really have any other choice. With a quick nod to each other, they followed the youma to their unknown destination.

* * *

'They're here.' Kei thought to herself before looking to Mars for her reaction. Mars' head shot up quickly and she looked over her shoulder, toward the door. 'So she's noticed as well…' "It seems our guests have finally arrived to the party." Kei said and paused for a moment. "Would you be so kind as to greet them properly?"

Mars looked back to Kei and nodded her head slightly, "I can do that." She said and stood up. Mars walked to the door and was about to open it when it opened. She watched a large youma walk past her in to the room as she was leaving. She didn't think much of it; it wasn't her choice what company Kei kept, besides there were other things on her mind.

She walked down the hall that would lead her outside the walls of the palace at a quick pace. Her thoughts were jumbled and it worried her, 'I'm not in the right state of mind to go into battle and yet that is the very place I march to.' There was no turning back now, but she'd made up her mind about what to do. She'd just beat them to the point where they'd be forced to give up.

She could hear voices in the distance and they grew louder as she continued walking. They didn't seem to make any effort to hide themselves. When she reached the end of the hall, she could finally make out what the voices were saying.

"Where did that youma go?" One of them said.

Mars stopped in the arch-way and leaned against the frame on the left, so she was still in the shadows. She peaked outside, but she couldn't see any one. 'They must be around the corner.' She stepped out and followed the side of the building until she reached the corner. She took a quick look around the corner to confirm her suspicious, which she did. 'They're sitting ducks waiting out in the open.' She thought to herself and shook her head. It would be easy to pick them off one by one from her position, but that was cowardly. She silently decided to watch them until the right moment arrived.

* * *

"Why did he take us here?" Jupiter thought aloud.

"What is  _here_  anyway?" Mercury asked. Everyone took some time to look around after the senshi of water's question.

The senshi of time gasped loudly and stared at their surroundings in shock. "I-It can't be…"

The group turned to Pluto; she was staring at some point high ahead of where they were. Everyone followed her line of sight and saw she was staring at the top of the building. A distinctly shaped object stood where they looked and even though part of it was broken, it was clearly a crescent moon.

"How is it possible?" Neptune asked.

Sailor Moon ran a short distance away from the group and stared wide-eyed at the blue planet that floated in space that seemed like a short distance from where she stood.

"Sailor Moon, you shouldn't…" Venus began to say, but was silenced by the beautiful sight Sailor Moon was already looking at.

"It really looks different from here." She stated quietly.

Everyone joined the two blondes, except for Sailor Pluto who continued to stare at the building a little while longer. It was really a sight to behold and there were so few who could ever claim to see the Earth as they were now. As Sailor Moon stared at Earth, she could understand why she had such a fascination with it during the Silver Millennium. Even Pluto joined them after a short while; she hadn't seen such a sight in a long time. It wasn't often she saw the Earth from this perspective even when Serenity lived in the castle.

"It's rather beautiful from here, isn't it?"

Everyone froze at hearing that voice. Rei. None of them expected her just appear before like she was there the whole time. Almost on command everyone turned to her and stared at her in surprise. She stood just a short distance away from them, but she was the perfect distance away to be able to counter any attack that could be tried. None could seem to muster the ability to say any thing initially, perhaps due to the surprise. Moon knew from the previous night to not do anything that would make her seem threatened. She would stick to their plan and have Saturn take the first action.

It was almost comical seeing everyone turn to her simultaneously. It seemed no one was even aware of her presence until she spoke to them. She was somewhat disappointed, she hadn't done anything to hide her presence outside not making any noise, yet they were still none the wiser. Her eyes traveled over all the members of the group; unsurprisingly the girl she'd already met was noticeably the strongest. It did surprise her that the girl who seemed to the youngest among them was as strong as she was. She figured her powers couldn't have developed completely, but that seemed to be wrong, age didn't matter. She found herself staring at the girl at the center of the group.

Mars smiled a bit and bowed her head ever so slightly toward the girl in the middle of the group, "Serenity I've already meet. I've yet to be formally introduced to the rest of you."

The smallest one suddenly stepped forward. As she approached she held out her right arm and after a few seconds a long pole materialized in her hand, at the top of the pole sat a long curved blade. The girl stopped a short distance away, just outside the weapon's range.

"That's an awfully big weapon you have there, kid." Mars commented. The pole itself stood taller than the girl who carried it, but the blade at the top added several more inches to its overall length.

Saturn raised her weapon above her head, "I hope with this you'll come back to us…"

"What…?" Mars started to say before being cut off.

"Death Ribbon Revolution!"

Saturn finished by pointing the blade at Mars, who quickly took a defensive stance, she had no idea what the other girl was planning though. Everyone watched on, curious about the young girl's attack. They'd never actually  _seen_  her perform any attack, though they'd only seen her for such a short time previously. Saturn's ultimate power was known to them since they fought off the death busters. This attack was not one that could destroy the world though. It didn't seem it could do any damage for that matter. The purpose of her attack became quite obvious when ribbons shot forth from Saturn's Silence Glaive and enveloped Sailor Mars. As the ribbons bound her, she struggled to free herself, but it was to no avail. Saturn held her weapon tighter as Mars continued to try to break free. "Please don't struggle, Rei. We are going to help you." Saturn said and stepped back a little, "Everyone please concentrate and lend your powers to Sailor Moon." Saturn called.

All the Sailor Senshi cleared their minds so their only thoughts would be of helping their friend by lending their powers to Sailor Moon. All the senshi began glowing and their auras, which were normally invisible, became visible to the naked eye.

Sailor Mars fell to her knees due to the constraint the ribbons put on her, "What are you planning?" Mars questioned angrily.

'I can feel them, their power and will to help Rei.' Sailor Moon thought as she shut her eyes.

"Moon Eternal, Make Up." Moon whispered and in the blink of an eye, she changed. Moon's crisis compact changed to her eternal compact, her moon kaleidoscope changed to her eternal tier, and fuku changed from Super Sailor Moon fuku to her Eternal Sailor Moon fuku. Sailor Moon opened her eyes and she had fully transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon.

All the senshi looked on in amazement, as Super Sailor Moon changed into Eternal Sailor Moon right before their eyes. Eternal Moon just radiated with love and immense power, far beyond what any of them expected, even Saturn and Pluto. Neither expected her be as powerful as she was without the extra power from Sailor Mars.

Saturn moved next to Eternal Moon and spoke to her quietly, "You don't have much time. You must bring Rei back now, while you can still maintain your transformation." Sailor Moon nodded her head and approached the kneeling Sailor Senshi.

"Wh-What are you?" Mars demanded. For a brief moment she saw a girl in a school uniform with a weird hairstyle smiling cheerfully at her, superimposed where this new senshi was standing in front of her. And for some reason, she didn't understand why, but seeing that school girl made her feel incredibly sad. One thing she could figure out from what she felt was that, she didn't want to be around that girl if she had to feel that level of sadness.

"Rei…" Eternal Moon said sadly.

"Don't come any closer to me!" Mars demanded, but Moon paid no heed to her demands. She tried to break free of the ribbons that bound her, but the more she struggled the tighter they seemed to get.

"Rei please, I'm going to bring you back." Moon said resolutely and positioned her Eternal Tier in front of herself. Mars noticeably flinched at the light the object emitted.

"I won't let you! Go forth my youma!" Someone yelled appearing seemingly out of no where along with at least a couple dozen youma, including Ryuji; however he remained at her side unlike the other youma that just charged the Sailor Senshi.

'Damn it, we need more time.' Saturn thought and looked over her shoulder, "Everyone, please! We need more time! I can't leave my position until Sailor Moon has restored Mars." Everyone, except for Pluto and Tuxedo Kamen, nodded their heads and ran to meet the new onslaught of youma.

'Good attack the small fries that will only make you open to our attacks.' Kei thought. "Ryuji, it's time! Go on a rampage!" Kei told Ryuji, and he smiled evilly at the senshi.

The large youma charged the senshi that remained with Mars like a bull seeing red. Suddenly three projectiles flew at the ground just ahead of his charge. The youma stopped on a dime before he could be struck by the objects. He looked at the ground and saw three thorn-filled red flowers just in front of his feet.

The lone male among the group of warriors stepped toward the large youma. He glanced over to Moon and Saturn before looked at the youma, "I'll give you some more time."

"Be careful, he's very powerful." Saturn said seriously.

Tuxedo Kamen nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it without saying anything. He took a deep breath before opening his mouth once more, "Good luck." And with that he sped off to meet the youma that left only Pluto with Saturn and Moon.

Pluto stared at the only person, who hadn't made any real motion to do anything, but she doubted that would last for long; the dark haired senshi of time knew where she had to go. "I will deal with Kei. She and I have unresolved issues. You two needn't worry, about her doing anything. Just do what you two have to do." Pluto said addressing Saturn and Eternal Moon.

Both girls nodded their heads. Saturn looked over to Moon, "It's all up to you now." She stepped away from the other girl a little, giving her all the room she could need.

* * *

The Sailor Senshi lined up, seemingly creating a wall between the youma onslaught and the three senshi behind them. Seeing the senshi lined up in front of them, they youma stopped their blind rush forward, it seemed they were rethinking that idea. There didn't seem to be a real leader among them though, making a new strategy difficult.

Uranus' eyes scouted the group of youma, "There looks to be about thirty of them."

"That means roughly 6 youma each if Sailor Moon can't bring Mars back to our side quickly." Neptune added as she looked down the line of warriors.

"None of them can be allowed to get past us." Venus stated while she glared out at the gathering youma.

"Do you think there's any chance they'll do us a favor and come one at a time?" Jupiter asked, half jokingly.

"Doubtful." Mercury said as she pressed her earring, causing the visor that covered her eyes to disappear. "These youma aren't particularly strong, however they do have numbers on their side and I'm sure they'll use that to their advantage."

The youma seemed to find their bravado again because they seemed to begin their charge forward once more. "Let's do this then." Venus announced, while her fellow senshi nodded their heads in agreement.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

* * *

Tuxedo Kamen held his cane defensively in front of himself, "I can't let you interfere with them."

The large youma stared at the man for a short time before replying. "You must seriously have some kind of death wish little man…" Ryuji said with sinister smile on his face.

"I have no intention of dying any time soon." Tuxedo Kamen replied back.

"Wrong…you won't last two minutes against me." He said proudly.

"Why don't we just see about that?" The tuxedo clad man said and kicked off the ground. He leapt through the air with his cane raised above his head. As he descended down he swung the object down as hard as he could at the youma. A small smile spread across his lips as it seemed that he'd caught the monster unprepared, but it quickly faded as he saw him materialize a long pole into his hands, Tuxedo Kamen noticed the weapon bore a resemblance to Saturn's weapon. He frowned as his cane connected with the youma's weapon, instead of its body.

With his feet back on the ground, he held his cane tighter and tried to push the youma back. He gritted his teeth as he soon found it was he who was being pushed back, being overpowered by the youma. Tuxedo Kamen pulled back his cane and rolled to his left, giving him a bit of distance between the youma and himself. 'It seems a battle of strength was a bad idea.' He thought as he observed the youma turning to him slowly. Witnessing his labored movement, another idea came to the tuxedo clad man. 'Maybe I can use my speed against him…'

Tuxedo Kaman ran at the youma, but darted to his left just before reaching the creature. Ryuji's eyes widened slightly, not expecting the man to be so nimble, but his eyes quickly caught the tuxedo clad man. It seemed like he was trying to run circles around him, in order to make it hard to judge where he'd attack from. The youma shut his eyes and waited for the man to decide when to attack, there was no sense in him wasting energy. He opened his eyes, the human was about to attack.

"Fool!" Ryuji yelled and swung his large arm at the dark haired man.

Tuxedo Kamen hastily put up his arms in front of his face. He successfully blocked the youma's forearm, but the force behind the blow sent him head over heels across the ground several times, losing his hat in the process, before coming to a rough stop, face first in clay-like ground. He lay there motionless for several minutes, prompting the youma to walk closer to where he'd come to a stop, in order to inspect whether he'd already killed the human. The youma stopped when he finally saw movement from the man. The tuxedo clad man used his arms to push himself off the ground

"Do you see now human?" Ryuji said and paused, almost daring the man to respond. "I can kill any time I want, but it's been a while since I've had a fight. So, do me a favor and stay alive long enough for me to shake the rust off, okay?" He said and cocked his head to side, cracking it loudly.

* * *

Kei raised an eyebrow as she watched Sailor Pluto make her way over to her. She hadn't expected her to come to her directly. Of course, she wasn't greatly surprised either. It was almost better, this way she wouldn't be in the cross-fire of her youma. With her being so close, she could even subdue her if the need called for it. She couldn't help but let a smile cross her lips as Pluto got closer. "Do you like what I've done with the place?" Kei called as Pluto drew within earshot.

"I can't believe you'd desecrate this palace by allowing such foul creatures on these grounds. I didn't think you'd sink to this level."

"You speak as though I've only just arrived here. If that's what you believe, you are quite wrong. I've been here for a very long time already. I simply thought it was time to invite the Princess back here." She paused for a moment before adding, "I was honestly surprised so many of the structures still stood when I returned after so many years though."

"Everything here is magical in nature. Of course they wouldn't fall under the weight of time. You should know that if you remembered your teachings. I see it was impossible for you to repair the damage this building sustained. Only one person could return everything to the splendor it once had…and that person is not you."

"Enough talk about this decaying palace!" Kei stated angrily. "I had no desire to repair the damage to this place. As long as the defenses worked, that would be enough. They made sure you couldn't find me until I desired it."

"That is true. It didn't even cross my mind that you'd use the Moon Palace as you have, but all that will end now."

Kei stared at the senshi of time for a short time, 'Why is she so confident?' Her eyes caught sight of the Moon Princess, both she and Saturn had Mars in a precarious position, but she wasn't worried. She had an idea as to what they were planning to do, it wouldn't work. A smug smile crossed her lips as she turned back to Pluto, "You must know their efforts are useless." Kei said calmly.

"You're wrong." Pluto said equally calm. "I believe they can be successful in undoing what you've done to Rei."

She stared in the direction of Moon, Mars, and Saturn again. They definitely had something planned, but she knew her spell was flawless. Her gaze hardened as she said, "Impossible." She looked back at Pluto, "Nothing she can do will reverse my spell."

Pluto shook her head, "You don't understand the extent of the Princess' power. She's infinitely stronger than what she was just a few minutes ago."

"Magical power alone isn't…"

"She also has the resolve to return Rei to her normal self, no matter the cost to herself."

A smirk crossed Kei's face, though the senshi of time couldn't quite see it because her face was shadowed by her hood, "How noble…" her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That's obviously something you can't understand. I had hoped there would still be a part of that girl you were at one time left, but it doesn't seem possible anymore. I thought my teachings would have had a bigger influence than what ever happened to turn in to what you are now."

"I'm not a child anymore; don't speak to me as though I am one. Serenity will die. One way or another, I will make sure of that. And with that done, everything will be as it should have been!"

" _As it should have been!_ " Pluto repeated angrily. "You don't understand a thing if that's what you believe. If the Princess were to lose her life this system would be thrown into utter chaos. Do you know why the Princess is to be protected, even if it cost all of us our lives?"

"Because that is what the fates have deemed."

Pluto shook her head slowly, "Only she can bring peace to this solar system. Meaningless death upon meaningless death, only she can put an end to all of that. It is her destiny to do all of that and you have no right to interfere with that. Nor do you have the right hurt Mars as you have."

"They both deserve what's coming to them." Kei spat venomously.

"Where did all this anger come from? You weren't always the person you are now. The question has plagued me for so long…what brought about this change?"

"What the hell do you care for now?" Kei asked angrily.

"I've always cared! You simply lost your way so completely that you never saw it! I spent five years with you. Do you not think that I wished the best for you after I came to know you so well? I knew from the time you returned from that mission that you were different. I watched for any strange behavior and I saw the hard looks you would give Serenity, that's why I was there that night. Didn't you wonder how it was that I was there despite you hiding yourself perfectly?"

"I knew it wasn't a coincidence…and yet it wasn't you who stopped me, was it?"

"You're right it wasn't. Now though, I've seen you for what you are and I've resolved to do what I couldn't do back then. I will not let you have things your way. I won't allow you to harm the Princess any further. I will protect her life at all costs." Pluto said and pointed her staff at her former apprentice.

"Chronos Typhoon!"

* * *

"What are you trying to accomplish?" Mars asked angrily.

Sailor Moon dropped to one knee in front of the solider of flames. She leaned forward, until her lips were next to Mars' right ear. "I'm going to restore you to your real self and then…I'll tell you when you're yourself again." She said and stood up.

Mars stared at the other girl in confusion, "W-What?"

Sailor Moon only smiled in response. She then positioned her Eternal Tier in front of herself and Mars, "With this, I hope for you to return to your true self." She held the object tighter and it then shot a burst of light at Mars. Moon could hear Rei scream out in pain and closed her eyes tightly, though a few tears slipped past her defensives. She had to keep repeating to herself why she was doing what she doing, Rei would thank her afterwards. The light grew brighter for an instant, before it started to fade.

"Did it work?" Saturn asked as she squinted her eyes due to the blinding light, trying to make out what Rei's condition was.

Eternal Sailor Moon fell to her knees and dropped her Eternal Tier, when the item hit the ground her eternal transformation began fading away. Everything that had changed from her transformation changed back and she was no longer Eternal Sailor Moon but rather Super Sailor Moon once again. The light began to fade even quicker and both Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn looked hopefully in the direction of where Mars knelt earlier. As everything becomes visible again, they see…

* * *

End Ch. 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so starts the final battle of my story...


	32. Fateful Night under the Stars Act II

Chapter 32 – Fateful Night under the Stars Act II

* * *

"Did it work?" Saturn asked as she squinted her eyes due to the blinding light, trying to make out what Rei's condition was.

Eternal Sailor Moon fell to her knees and dropped her Eternal Tier, when the item hit the ground her eternal transformation began fading away. Everything that had changed from her transformation changed back and she was no longer Eternal Sailor Moon but rather Super Sailor Moon once again. The light began to fade even quicker and both Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn looked hopefully in the direction of where Mars knelt earlier. As everything becomes visible again, they see Mars kneeling in the same spot. Any hope that they'd succeeded quickly faded when they saw her. Nothing changed, Mars was exactly the same, Sailor Moon had no effect what so ever. The only noticeable effect was that she seemed to be weakened, but the same was true of Sailor Moon as well.

'I don't understand? It should have worked! Eternal Sailor Moon has the power to free Mars, why didn't it work!' Saturn glanced over to the girl beside her; she was currently staring at Mars. Moon looked to be on the verge of tears, 'This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.' She looked back at Mars and gripped her Silence Glaive tighter as she thought about what to do.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wasn't strong enough." Sailor Moon cried, almost inaudibly.

Saturn looked back at Sailor Moon and shook her head, "No, you're wrong. You  _were_  strong enough. I must have missed something, something that caused you to be unsuccessful."

"How can I help Rei now? That was our only chance and I failed her."

"You haven't failed her yet. She's still here and so are you. But most of all, I  _know_  you can save her. Everything I've seen tells me you can save her."

"But how?" Moon asked again, looking up at the dark haired girl pleadingly.

Saturn silently thought about that, 'There had to be an alternative way to reach Rei…' After a few moments an idea struck the girl, though she didn't know if this idea would be anymore successful, but it was worth a shot. "Sailor Moon, just try speaking to her, but don't use your powers this time. I'll aid Tuxedo Kamen." Saturn said and ran off to join Tuxedo Kamen.

Sailor Moon looked back to Mars, 'Try talking to her…' There was really only one thing she wanted to talk with her about, but how could she do that  _now_?

* * *

"Chronos Typhoon!"

A large wave of light purple energy flew out of Pluto's talisman straight at Kei. The energy hit the surprised woman solidly in the chest and sent her backwards several feet before colliding roughly with the ground, back first.

Pluto continued to hold her staff toward the other woman even as she lay motionless on the ground. She advanced closer to Kei, but still kept a small distance between them. Pluto stayed focused on the woman on the ground, the thought of attacking again occurred to her, but she disregarded it. The senshi of time held her staff tighter when she saw a little movement from the other woman. It was only a few more seconds before she finally spoke again.

"I don't believe I'm familiar with that attack." Kei said and sat up slowly. Her hood fell back as she reached a seated position. Her black hair mostly rested on her back, expect for two tight braids that fell over the front of each shoulder. She wore a thin silver band across her forehead. It had a small star the same color of band that rested in the center of her forehead.

She looked over to Pluto and allowed her lips to curl into half a smile, "You really put a lot of effort into that one…didn't you?"

"I already told you that I won't allow you to harm the Princess."

"If you wanted to kill me, you should have continued to attack me as I lay down." Kei said and dusted off the front of her cloak with her hands. When she was done, she stood up and looked down at her clothes; the front of the dark fabric was scorched badly and had a few rips in it that weren't there before. "It's ruined now." She muttered to herself and shook her head. She reached up and pulled on a string that hung around the collar causing the front of cloak to open. She then proceeded to take the black coverings off and throw it to the ground afterwards. "I guess it's not very honorable to attack someone when they're down though, is it?"

"You've modified your uniform since I last saw you." Pluto commented, ignoring the question.

"I don't serve anyone anymore, so I saw no need to continue wearing the same uniform." Kei replied and held out her arms, as though she were displaying her armor.

She wore black armor, in the same fashion of the one Mars currently wore. Her dark armor stood out even more against her plain skin, a clear sign she didn't venture into the light very often. Her appearance was only vaguely similar to the girl she knew from the Silver Millennium.

Kei began to walk toward Pluto, but paused for a moment as she looked at something. Her eyes traveled past Pluto as she said, "It appears the Princess wasn't successful."

Pluto glanced over her shoulder where Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars were and on the surface it appeared that she was right. The senshi of time sighed, 'So, this is the path that must be taken…' She closed her eyes for few seconds before opening them and turning back to Kei, 'So be it.'

"You obviously don't know the Princess like I do." Pluto stated.

"We'll just have to see about that won't we?" Kei said and smiled. 'I guess you still have something up your sleeve, but so do I…'

* * *

A loud explosion resonated through out the area as the Sailor Senshi's attacks struck the first line of youma. The youma that were hit were completely disintegrated, but the second line charged onward regardless, seemingly unbothered by the deaths of their companions. Even though a number of them were eliminated with their combined attack, a large number remained and they seemed hell-bent on putting up a fight.

"It looks like we're going have to do this the hard way." Jupiter said and entered her fighting stance.

"Spread out! But remember, none of them can make it past us." Venus ordered.

Immediately each of the girls leapt to one side. Jupiter and Mercury, who were on Venus' left both leapt to the left. Uranus and Neptune, who were on Venus' right leapt to the right. Venus however, remained in the same spot, in the center of the group. There was now a good distance between each girl, giving them enough room to fight, but they were still close enough to support each other if the need arose.

The youma seemed to divide themselves up into small groups as well, when the Sailor Senshi separated, showing that they were at least well coordinated. The five smaller groups advanced on one girl each. They seemed to understand that they'd have to get through them first before going any further and that charging past them was going to be too difficult.

"Let's make short work of these youma!" Uranus called to the group. As the youma finally reached them, she held her hand in the air and called forth her primary attack.

"World Shaking!"

She directed the glowing yellow ball of energy at the youma in the center of the group of five that approached her, he also happened to be the largest of them. The attack hit the youma square in the chest and threw him into the air, before he disintegrated. The remaining four continued unflinchingly at the tall warrior, forcing her to engage them in close combat.

At the same time each of the other Sailor Senshi were involved in their own battles as well….

Sailor Neptune stood patiently as the youma that were running at her, surrounded her. She snapped her fingers and a mirror appeared in her hands. She held the mirror out in front of herself, pointing it at two youma. After a moment she shouted her talisman's attack.

"Submarine Reflection!"

The mirror's surface immediately released a bright light upon Neptune saying those two words. In what couldn't have been more than a couple seconds the two youma that were covered in the light became dust. At the same time the youma that stood behind her as she attacked the two other youma, charged her from her blindside.

Venus wore a hard gaze as she watched the youma get closer to her. There were a total five among the group that looked to be heading at her, but she already knew none of them were very strong so their course of attack seemed obvious, they'd attack together. 'I should reduce their numbers, before they get too close.' She thought and pointed her forefinger and middle finger at the youma furthest on the right.

"Crescent Beam!"

The concentrated energy beam shot out of her fingers at a high rate of speed and struck the youma in its right shoulder, sending him to the ground. 'Am I losing my touch?' Venus sighed, she had intended for it to strike him in the chest and kill him instantly, now his death will be a lot more painful. Venus entered her fighting stance and prepared to engage the remaining youma.

Sailor Jupiter studied the five youma as they neared her. If they were running at full speed, none of them were very fast, but that could be because of their size, all of them expect one were on the larger side. 'The big ones must be short range fighters. It wouldn't be good to have all of them surrounded me…'

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

A ball of electrical energy formed in her hand and she threw it at one of the large youma. The ball hit him solidly in the stomach area and blew straight threw him, destroying him on the spot. As with the other groups of youma, they continued onward unfazed by their comrade's death. Jupiter watched the youma get closer and as she expected the smaller one hung back a little, while the other three continue to charge her.

Mercury put away her mini super computer and pressed her earring, making her visor disappear as well. She watched the four youma; two were fire specialists and two were earth specialists, which meant two would be more apt in close combat, while the other two would likely be longer range fighters. She'd use what she knew about them to her advantage, she'd take away their visibility. While it was more of an advantage over long range fighters, it would help against either type.

"Shabon Spray!"

The misty water vapor filled the area, but Mercury was careful not to make the foggy area too large, so it wouldn't interfere with the girls. Mercury pressed her earring again as she too became surrounded by the fog and started out to search for the youma she trapped in the near zero visibility.

* * *

Ryuji wore a sick smiled as he approached Tuxedo Kamen as he still knelt on the ground. The tuxedo clad man hastily tried to get back up, he knew that if he didn't, he'd just be a punching bag for the youma and he had no intention of letting that happen. He grunted aloud as he forced himself to his feet.

"So you do have some fight left in you, eh?"

Tuxedo Kamen held his cane again as he stood. The object was in his left hand, though he normally holds it in his right, he realized when he was getting up that he couldn't form a tight fist with that hand. Blocking the youma's attack earlier must have done more damage than he hoped. He pointed the cane at the youma and said, "I can't be done in  _that_  easily."

"Heh, I wouldn't boast simply because you are still able to breath." Ryuji said, before again starting to walk towards the human.

The Prince of Earth watched the youma carefully; he needed to find some way to stall him a little more. He took one step back and cursed inwardly, there was no way he could defeat this guy without outside help, and that was unrealistic to expect at the moment. He took another step back as he continued to be stalked, he was in the bad situation of having to react and defend himself against whatever the monster he was facing had in mind.

"This is boring. If you're not going to do anything, I will." The youma said and quickly rushed the man.

The youma moved so quickly that Tuxedo Kamen didn't even have time to react, though it was unlikely he could have staved off the furious attack. Ryuji gave him a quick uppercut to the chest area, lifting him off the ground, and quickly followed up with a flurry more before the man could even fall back to the ground. The youma finally stopped, though by that time the man he'd been hitting was several more feet off the ground. Without the force of the hits, the tuxedo clad man began fall back to the ground, but before he could the large youma grabbed him by the throat and brought the man closer to him.

"You're weak, human. I can't have any fun with someone so weak." He said and threw him roughly unto the ground. He held his hand in the air and materialized his weapon to it. He started at the man for short time longer, almost expecting him to beg him or something, but he said nothing. "Good-bye." The youma declared as he began to bring his weapon down on the man. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the glint of something shiny, coming down, at his head. Ryuji jumped back as the blade slammed into the ground between him and the tuxedo clad man. A small crater formed around where the blade struck the ground. The youma followed the pole up to its wielder. He couldn't help, but grin at his fortunes. It was the same girl that was with Sailor Moon just a short time ago, the same one he'd been warned about.

Sailor Saturn lifted her weapon back up from the ground and held it at her side as she looked at the youma, he didn't appear as though he was going to do anything…immediately anyway. She turned away from him and gazed down to the Prince of Earth, he was a mess. She didn't need her unique ability to see that. He was breathing awkwardly, he had his right arm protectively against his chest, and one side of his face had a large amount of blood. Saturn knelt beside Tuxedo Kamen and placed her Silence Glaive down beside her, "Are you all right?"

"What's your definition of 'all right'?"

Saturn smiled a bit and said, "If you can joke, I'd say you aren't going to dying anytime soon." She closed her eyes and put her hand over his chest afterwards. She was silent as she inspected his injuries. When she opened her eyes she spoke again, "You do have a few broken ribs and a mild fracture to your ulna in your right arm. You're lucky those broken ribs didn't puncture anything, they're pretty badly broken."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded his head, "How did she do?"

The senshi of death and rebirth silently shook her head, "But she hasn't give up yet." She smiled for a moment before becoming serious again, "Stay here and try not to move too much." Saturn picked up her weapon and looked at the youma, who'd been silent since she intervened, "I'll take care of that youma."

"Are you sure you can take him down by yourself?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.

Saturn stood up fully and turned away from the man she was talking, toward the youma. Her eyes quickly glanced over the other rest of the senshi, all of them had their hands full with their fights, "I don't have any other choice right now. I can't allow him to get near Sailor Moon."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded his head in response, she had a point. She couldn't exactly tell the youma to wait for the other girls to finish before starting to attack. "Be careful Saturn, he's strong."

She gave him a quick nod, "Yeah, I know. I've clashed with him once before, so I have an idea about what I'm dealing with. He on the other hand, doesn't know what I'm capable of. But  _here_ …I can use some of my power with out restraint." She said before beginning to walk away him, and toward the large youma.

Ryuji smiled, he'd intended to go after her when this started, but the male among them interfered. He wished to test himself against this senshi since he was told about her, 'She doesn't usually take any notice of any of the other girl, that girl had to be strong.' "Now, this is more like it." Ryuji commented as he looked over the young senshi.

Saturn pointed her Silence Glaive at the youma, "As the solider of death, I will put an end to you and your evil ambitions."

* * *

Sailor Moon got to her feet and started walking unsteadily towards Mars. With each step she felt as though the ground was shaking beneath her. Mars wasn't far from where she was before, but her shaky balance made it very difficult to get closer to her and if possible, she wanted to be close enough to touch the other girl. She'd forgotten how draining a new transformation was the first few times she used it, this was a glaring reminder. She had no intention of faltering before she could reach Rei. It felt like an eternity of walking, but finally she could see Rei just in front of her.

"Rei…are you okay?" Moon asked and dropped to her knees in front of the already kneeling Mars. She didn't answer. Instead the dark haired girl hunched over slightly, she was breathing heavily, and had beads of sweat on her forehead. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean for you to be hurt." Moon said extending her hand out to touch Mars' cheek, but Mars recoiled from Sailor Moon's touch.

"Don't touch me!" Mars yelled disgustedly causing Moon to retract her hand. "And I've already told you before, I'm not Rei…I'm Diana!"

"No, you're Rei. Our enemy did something to you to make you forget who you are,  _she_  did something to you!" Moon said pointing to the person was currently engaged with Sailor Pluto.

Mars looked where the blond girl in front of her was pointing and back to her, shaking her head, "You're wrong. I'm Diana, warrior and princess of Mars." Mars said.

"No, that's not who you are…you're Rei and I want her back! I want my Rei-chan back." Sailor Moon pleaded.

Mars looked utterly confused, 'This girl is speaking honestly. I can sense no dishonesty in her words. My memories can't be false, can they?' She couldn't figure out what to believe, in front of her sat a girl who spoke so emotionally and honestly it almost made her  _want_  to believe that she does know her. Then there was what she  _knew_ , that these Sailor Senshi are her enemies and she was to eliminate them. Suddenly a word popped into her head, 'Usagi', she had no idea where the name came from, she didn't know it before and yet…it seemed so familiar. Mars' eyes flickered briefly to a familiar amethyst color as she spoke, "Usa…gi"

Moon's eyes lit up as she gave Mars a huge smile. Sailor Moon move forward and wrapped her arms around her senshi, embracing her tightly. Sailor Moon opened her mouth to say something when Mars tensed in her arms; Sailor Moon pulled back a little to see what was wrong. Mars reached up and held her head, like she was having a bad headache.

"Rei, what's wrong?" Moon asked concernedly.

' _What the hell are you doing Diana? Kill her already!_ ' the voice said.

' _No! I don't want to kill her._ ' Mars responded mentally.

' _Are you disobeying me?_ ' the voice asked.

' _No, I mean, yes…if you are asking me to kill her._ ' Mars answered.

' _I'm not asking you. I'm ordering you, kill her! Do what a solider does and follow your orders!_ ' the voice commanded.

' _Why? Why do I have to kill her? I don't want to kill her; I don't want to hurt her._ ' Mars said.

' _How dare you question me? Just do it!_ ' the voice commanded again.

' _No!_ ' Mars responded. "Get the Hell out of my head!" Mars screamed looking up at the star-filled space.

* * *

Pluto looked over her shoulder to the girl who'd just yelled. She hadn't expected such a loud outburst from either of them. 'What just happened?' Her eyes widen for a moment, 'How could I have forgotten?' she asked her. She turned forward once again and stared angrily at the woman in front of her, "Stay out of it."

"No." She said.

The simple statement seemed to anger the senshi of time further. She clenched her free hand into a fist and quickly closed the distance between her and Kei. Pluto reared back and prepared to hit the other woman. Kei merely stood there, she didn't attempt to dodge or anything. She was rarely a physical fighter, but she could fight that way if she needed to, so she knew how to throw a punch and that was exactly what she did. Her fist struck the side of Kei's face and she stumbled in the direction the Pluto's fist took her, but she didn't fall. "You don't have any right to interfere with them further. Usagi has a right to say her piece and once she does, she will without a doubt break your spell."

Kei tilted her head to the side and spit on the ground, her saliva had a little red mixed with it. She laughed a little and turned back to Pluto, "I'm just trying to make good on my investment. You would do the same…am I wrong?" She asked and looked at Pluto for her reaction. Her grin only grew wider as she looked at the senshi time, "You  _have_  done the same." She laughed hysterically at her deduction.

"My actions were never driven by the desire for the death of another." Pluto stated.

"So that makes it better?"

"It doesn't. But your actions are rooted in your desire to hurt two people and they are both my friends, one of them I've sworn an oath to protect."

Kei waved her hand dismissively, "You'll get over it."

"And there you go again, telling me what  _my_  feelings are. I know exactly what my feelings are. You're still nothing more than a child when I look at you, can you not understand that?"

"Shut up!" Kei yelled and quickly swung her hand at the other woman. She caught the senshi of time off-guard, allowing the back of her hand to connect with the side of her face. Kei stared at Pluto; she kept her head turned away from her, where the force of blow took it. It wasn't as though the hit was particularly painful, she just wasn't expecting it, hence her lack of movement afterward. Kei clenched her hand into a fist at her side, "Do you see what you made me do?" She shouted, but shook her hand a few seconds later. "Don't you see why I have to end this? I'm doing this because of them!"

Pluto looked back to Kei and shook her head, "You put  _yourself_  in this position, and no one else is responsible. I made my beliefs very clear all those years ago. Killing the Princess could never change my mind, not then and not now." She said and paused to take a deep breath, "You don't have a chance of succeeding. The Princess wasn't successful on the first attempt, but…"

Kei spoke up quickly, interrupting the other woman, "You didn't seriously think she could undo my spell that easily did you? She did seem to generate quite a bit of power there, but she can't break my spell like that. No matter what she's trying now, she won't succeed."

"Say what you will but you seem to have your own doubts; otherwise you wouldn't continue to interfere with them. No matter how powerful the spell, it will most certainly crumble under what she can give."

"And what's that?"

"Something you can't understand." Pluto said and looked back to the two girls behind her. 'I lied, Usagi. There is another way to break the spell on Rei. It's something you had to come to on you own; it's something that only you would be able to do. However, you couldn't simply be told to say it, it has to be real, it had to be true. Otherwise, the words are meaningless and they'd hold no worth. It's up to you to understand what that is. I'll keep Kei from interfering again if you hold your resolve to bring Rei back at all costs.'

The senshi of time finally turned back to Kei, "Your interference with them ends now." She said and walked over to her.

"Is that…" Kei started to say, but was cut off mid-sentence. Her eyes traveled over to Pluto, she had her hand on her arm. Her eyes widened for a moment, "When did you…?"

"You didn't forget you taught you all those techniques, did you?" Pluto asked.

"I thought it was forbidden to use them." Kei shot back.

"This is an exception and it will also be the last time I do this." Pluto said and turned away from Kei to look over to Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars. "Now you can just sit back and watch as the Princess frees Mars."

* * *

"What's wrong Rei? Who's doing this to you?" Moon said and enveloped Mars in another tender embrace. "It's going to be ok Rei, I'm here." Moon whispered into Mars' ear.

The raven haired girl stiffened in the other girl's arms, she didn't need her pity. She pushed the other girl away and tried to get up, but failed miserably, her body was still too weak. She cursed silently at her own lack of strength.

"Please Rei…" She said and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"No." Mars said and pointed her hand at the blond's face.

"You won't." Sailor Moon said simply and reached her hand toward the other girl's.

Mars was surprised she merely disregarded the heat she knew her hand was emitting. She was even more surprised when the girl interlaced her fingers with her own. Somewhere inside though, she knew the girl was right, she couldn't attack her, not like that. She did want to put some space between her and the blonde haired girl, but even that was impossible for her.

Moon squeezed her hand, "You don't need to strong anymore, please…let me be strong for you. I want to bare your pain with you. I promise you won't have to be alone ever again. I know she's twisted your mind and she might have a stronghold on it, but she doesn't have all of you. She doesn't have your heart. She can't possibly have your heart, because I won't let her have it." Sailor Moon let go of Mars' hand for the time being. She took off her gloves and dropped them on the ground. "Please, I need you to come back to me. I-I have to tell you something and I'm not sure you'll understand if I tell you right now." She paused and looked down, "Do you understand? I need you…"

The raven haired girl shook her head in confusion, "Why do I feel so strange around you? I don't understand it." she said and looked down.

"Look at me." Sailor Moon said gently and put her hand softly under the other girl's chin. She made Mars look at her, "No matter how much she's done to convince you otherwise, she can't completely take you away from me. I've seen it in your eyes. She can't taint your soul no matter what; it's too beautiful to be overtaken by her lies." She smiled at the confused looked she received. "I can see it even if you can't, it's still the same soul that I…I…" She bit her lower lip softly and looked down for a moment. She looked back at the other girl and took a deep breath. She slowly moved her hand from Mars' chin to her cheek. Her thumb stroked the soft skin beneath it, but that caused the other girl to start to move away, prompting Moon to speak again, "Please…give me a moment."

Mars stopped, but didn't immediately do anything else. After a little thought she moved back to same spot she was. Sailor Moon smiled, "Thank you." She said and took a few more seconds to think of what to say. Once she finally settled on what to say, she began. "I don't know what I have to do to return you to normal." She admitted with a sigh, "What I do know is what I decided on, on my own. I wished to tell you, after you were yourself again, but it looks like I can't wait." She paused for a moment a shook her head, "Actually, I don't want to wait any longer. I just hope you understanding what I'm saying…"

Sailor Moon let her right hand slip behind Mars' head. Her fingers weaved through black hair until she felt the back of her head beneath the thick tresses. She held her head in place as she let her other hand leave the girl's cheek. Without breaking eye contact with the dark haired girl, Moon found the other girl's right hand resting on her thigh. She placed her hand on top of the other girl's and squeezed it gently. Moon gently brought Mars' head closer, inching hers closer as moved the other girl's. Soon there was virtually no space between the two girl's faces. "I hope you believe me when I tell you this…" She whispered, without breaking eye contact. She stared deeply into the dark haired girl's eyes, seemingly searching for something, for what felt like an eternity, though in reality it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. For her part, Mars felt compelled to hear what the other girl had to say, for some reason. Finally breaking eye contact, Sailor Moon moved her head so that her lips were then close to Mars' left ear.

"You mean so much to me. I don't think I understood exactly how much until you weren't with me anymore. I can't explain it except to say that at some point, I felt as though I was missing a part of myself. It took me a long time to figure out why that was, but I think I can say that I have now. I know why and now that I know, it feels like I should have known all along for some reason. What I'm trying to say is that…" Sailor Moon paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I love you."

She positioned herself in front of Mars again. She looked into her eyes for some kind of reaction to what she just said, but she couldn't find anything. 'Actions speak louder than words, don't they?' she thought before moving forward and capturing her lips, hesitantly at first. Her lips barely brushed against the other girl's, almost as though she was afraid of the other girl's reaction. She seemed surprised because she immediately tensed up at the contact, but it wasn't an altogether negative response like she'd feared. Sailor Moon took that opportunity to then make the kiss more meaningful by fully capturing her lips.

The dark haired girl's eyes widen at the blond's brazen actions. She wasn't forceful or demanding though and she found herself giving in to her, allowing her to do as she wished. It wasn't too long before she was returning the kiss. There was something about the sensation of the other girl's lips against her own, but couldn't figure out what it was. After a few seconds, she could feel her cheeks were wet, but she couldn't understand why. She was crying and she couldn't understand why, the tears just fell of their own accord. The other girl broke away from her and wiped away the wetness with her hands, before moving forward and resting her forehead against the other girl's.

"Please come back to me, Rei." The blonde whispered and closed her eyes.

"Kiss me again." The dark haired girl said out of the blue. Moon looked at her curiously, but Mars answered her before she could say anything, "I need to know what I felt before."

Sailor Moon nodded her head and leaned forward again, pressing her lips against the Mars'. The raven haired girl closed her eyes and focused solely on what the feeling was that the kiss invoked in her. She parted her lips slightly and pushed her tongue past the opening. She brushed her tongue across the other girl's lips, seeking entrance. She could tell the blonde was surprised, but she knew that she needed this. There was some hesitation from the other girl, making Mars believe she'd never been kissed like this, but she finally gave in and parted her lips. She didn't want to be forceful with her, so she slipped her tongue into the other girl's mouth slowly and with equal slowness, she explored her mouth. After only a few seconds, she realized what the sensation was that she felt when she kissed her before…recognition.

'I remember this feeling.' Mars pulled slightly away from the other girl and opened her eyes. 'I remember…' she thought to herself. She lifted up her hand and touched the blond's lips with her gloved hand. 'I remember these lips, their softness, their warmth, their taste…' Mars quickly leaned forward, this time surprising the other girl when she was on the receiving end of a passionate kiss. Mars started to separate herself from Moon, but instead of completely parting, she caught the Moon Princess' lower lip with her mouth. She sucked on her lower lip for a few seconds before breaking apart completely. The sensation sent a shiver down Moon's spine.

She couldn't think of anything to say, she hadn't expected the other girl to do that. Her hand unconsciously went up to her lips and a small smile formed, 'Rei, kissed me…' After a moment though, her smile fell somewhat, 'Was it really Rei?' She looked to the dark haired girl for some confirmation.

Mars stared back at her companion with misty eyes, "I love you, Serenity." At those words, Sailor Moon's compact opened, revealing the object within it. The crystal shone brightly; as it did the night before, but this time it didn't hurt her…it was different. "So warm…" Mars whispered and closed her eyes. Afterwards the light seemed in engulf both her and Sailor Moon. Suddenly long forgotten memories and some not so long ago flooded into Mars' mind. 'I am Diana…no…I was Diana. Diana died in the Silver Millennium defending her princess, Princess Serenity, against the Dark Kingdom's attack. I was reborn on Earth as Hino Rei, a shrine maiden, but I was also Sailor Mars again. Everyone else was reborn too, even Serenity, but she's not Serenity in this time either, is she? No, in this time she's Tsukino Usagi, Sailor Moon.' Mars thought and memories from her time on Earth fill her mind, from all the battles, her second death, her grandfather, and just daily interactions with friends. She felt overwhelmed by everything, it was more than one person should have to process at one time and she began to feel light headed, but she knew she had to do something before her body could give out.

Mars opened her eyes slowly and focused her gaze at Sailor Moon, she smiled as bright as she could for the other girl, "I love you, Usagi…" After wards, her eyes closed once more.

* * *

Saturn ran at the large youma with her silence glaive in hand. The youma showed no signs of moving immediately, so Saturn swiped the blade at him. If she were successful, she'd cut the youma in half, but that was almost too much to hope for. The youma stabbed his weapon into the ground, so it would stand vertically and allowed the hard pole to take the force of the senshi's attack.

Ryuji struck the top of the pole with his arm, forcing the blade end out of the ground. He quickly grabbed the weapon and swung down at Saturn, who was now only about an arm's length away. The dark haired girl lunged to her left, just before the blade hit the ground. She quickly stabbed at the youma once she had her footing, but the youma reacted just as quickly and redirected the strike with his own weapon. Before the creature could counter-attack, Saturn back flipped away from him to try to think of a new strategy.

'He's a close-range fighter, but so am I.' She thought and stared at the youma and his weapon. 'I'm sure my Silence Glaive is more powerful than his weapon though…' Before she could finish her thought, she could see the youma running at her with his blade in the air. She quickly did the same and swung her weapon down at the youma, who did the same at the same time.

Saturn's weapon struck the ground just in front of the youma harmlessly, but the same couldn't be said for the youma's weapon. She knew she'd been hit; it was just a matter of how bad it was. Her head turned to her right, roughly an inch and half of the youma's blade was imbedded in her shoulder. Ryuji smiled happily as he yanked his weapon back.

Saturn gasped out in pain and fell to one knee. She immediately applied pressure to the gash on her shoulder with her opposite hand, soaking her glove through with her blood. She had it timed right…yet he still cut her. Why? She watched as the youma rested his weapon over his shoulder. He seemed to be smiling even wider, but that only caused her to stare more angrily at the creature.

"How? You're wondering how." He stated, but the young senshi only glared at him. "You don't need to say it, it's written all over your face." He said and paused. "Well, I'll tell you. Reach. It's that simple. My arms are longer than yours. Our weapons are about the same length but that means nothing if I have a longer arm span than you."

Saturn let the youma talk, she was more focused on healing herself, a person can only lose so much blood. She knew she couldn't completely heal herself, it would take too much energy to do so anyway, but she could at least heal it enough to allow that arm to be functional.

Ryuji advanced closer to the young senshi like a shark that smelled blood. "You're still just as fragile as all the other humans." He said held his weapon high above his head. He held it there for a few seconds, but all he did was unwittingly give the senshi of death more time to recover, before swinging the weapon down. As he swung down his blade, Saturn raised hers above her head.

"Silence Wall!"

The youma's weapon stopped midway down, having connected with a black dome of energy. He pulled back his weapon; he'd already seen how much that shield could with stand when she fought with Mars, he knew there was no way he could cut through it. "So, you can regenerate." Ryuji commented as he saw which hand held her weapon. "Interesting…so if I cut you up you'll just heal, eh? I guess I'll just have to chop off your head." He said and grinned at the end.

Saturn stood up and still maintained her shield as she focused on the youma. She had a plan, but she knew she'd have to act quickly. She was sure he wouldn't try to attack her again while she kept her silence wall up, but she'd have to let down her shield in order to execute her plan. 'I just need to be quicker than him.' She mentally counted to three before letting down her defensive attack and quickly reared back her weapon. Like she assumed the youma charged her as soon as her defenses were down, but she was a couple seconds faster. She started to swing her weapon back around and call out her attack.

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

Saturn swung her weapon at the youma, causing him to jump back. The blade wasn't the dangerous part of her attack though, because as the blade came near the youma, he was hit full force with a large amount of purple energy that erupted from the young girl's weapon. He was thrown back with the energy as it sailed threw the air. The youma was soon engulfed in a large explosion, which propelled him into the air and even further away from Sailor Saturn. It wasn't long before the youma found himself heading back to the ground once more.

When he crashed loudly into the surface Saturn ran to the area he landed. Saturn watched the youma cautiously. She'd caught him off-guard and her attack hit him solidly; taking all that into account she hoped the youma would be down for the count. Much to her disappointment, she could see movement from the monster; he looked to be standing back up. Saturn noticed that as he stood, something was falling off his body. Once he stood fully, the senshi of death was shocked at what she saw…he didn't have a scratch on him. 'There's no way he can walk away from that unharmed' Saturn thought and tried to come up with come kind of explanation. Her eyes focused on whatever it was that she saw falling off him as he stood, the answer had to lie with that.

"It was time I shed that old skin anyway." Ryuji said and stepped toward the young senshi. "But that sure was dangerous…it surely would have killed anyone else." He said and cracked his neck to the side, "What do you say we begin round two?"

* * *

Mars' fuku shattered away from her body, giving off a sound resembling breaking glass, and also leaving her bare to the world. She slumped forward, but Sailor Moon caught her and cradled Rei against her body as she clung weakly to her Princess. She felt limp to Moon, but she could feel the slow rise and fall of her chest against her own, she might as well be sleeping. Moon held her tighter, seemingly ensuring there could be no space between them. They were in their own world as far as Sailor Moon was concerned, nothing could touch them. She continued to hold Rei silently, but the unwelcome sounds of battle reached her ears. She looked up, all of her friends were still fighting…their fight wasn't over. She realized Rei would have to get up; they weren't out of danger yet, if anything they were in more danger. Moon leaned next to Rei's ear and whispered, "Rei…Rei…wake up. Come on, wake up for me…please." She rocked the dark haired girl back and forth as she still implored her to wake up.

Rei's eyes were closed as she tried to enjoy the warmth from the soft object she clung to. She felt so tired, she wanted to sleep, making that even more tempting, she felt so safe where she was that she never wanted to leave. Sleep was a formidable adversary for the raven haired girl at the moment. The desire to give in to it was strong, but she also felt the need to open her eyes. She struggled over which one she give into, but at the edge of her hearing someone was whispering encouraging words to her and telling her to wake up. Her body was telling to ignore the voice, but there was something about the pleading tone the voice had, she didn't think she could ignore it.

The longer it took for her to wake Rei, the more Sailor Moon got worried. 'Why isn't she waking up?' She asked herself. She'd taken to stroking the other girl's hair as she urged her to wake up and join her in the world of the living. She felt like she was being selfish again, but she needed to see the other girl to open her eyes and say something. A few stray tears fell down her cheek on to Rei's cheek, causing the other girl to flinch slightly with each droplet, though it went unnoticed by the blonde.

Rei cracked open one eye and then a second one, she did wish to remain in her blissful ignorance, but when she looked up at the girl holding her, she realized there was so much more for her here. Even though her body was still so weak, looking at Usagi she could see that she needed her more, her body could wait. She tried to shift a little, but she was being held too tightly for that, but she noticed one of her arms was free to do as she pleased. Carefully, Rei reached up with her right hand and wiped the wetness beneath Moon's left eye with her thumb. Sailor Moon looked down at the girl in her arms, with a somewhat surprised look. "Hey…Odango atama…" She said softly.

Moon's eyes filled with tears once more and she held Rei even tighter. She felt so worn out and Sailor Moon was holding her so tight it was becoming painful, but there wasn't anywhere in the universe she'd rather be. She just continued to let Sailor Moon do as she pleased. She was going to live in this moment for as long as she'd be allowed, moments such as this were fleeting after all. It wasn't much longer before the Moon Princess finally seemed to loosen the 'death-grip' she had her companion in. She pulled back just enough to look into Rei's eyes, prompting the other girl to look up at her as well. She smiled the biggest smile that she'd done in a long time when she looked into the other girl's eyes; they were truly Rei's eyes looking up at her. After much effort she successfully found her voice, "…Rei?"

The dark haired girl took a deep breath before answering, "The one and only…"

Her voice still sounded weak to Sailor Moon's ears, but she could hear the cockiness in her voice as well and it brought yet another smile to her face, not to mention still more tears.

"Hey, no more tears…okay?"

Sailor Moon nodded her head, yet the tears didn't stop. Rei sighed, "I'm here Usagi and I'm not going anywhere, I promise. You saved me, Usa…you truly did. I owe you everything." Rei paused, this time it was her eyes that filled with tears. "I'm so sorry. Oh, kami-sama, I'm so... _so_  sorry. I hurt you, I couldn't stop my body. I swore to protect you and could have killed you." Rei cried as her hand hovered over Sailor Moon neck.

Sailor Moon grabbed a hold of Rei's hand and forcibly closed the space between her neck and Rei's hand. The dark haired girl looked at Moon in surprise, but she simply smiled, "I don't want you to be afraid to touch me. I promise I'm not as fragile as you think I am." She said and winked at the end.

"Usagi…" She began but had to force back more tears, with much effort, before continuing, "…I love you so much." Rei said and placed her other hand on Moon's shoulder before slowly moving forward in an effort to close the distance between her and Sailor Moon.

* * *

"You failed." Pluto announced. The words were so simple, yet they stabbed threw Kei as though she'd been physically struck.

Kei stared angrily at where Rei and Sailor Moon were, 'It's not possible! My spell was flawless. There's no way I failed!'

"Do you see now? Do you see why your spell was broken? Their feelings are the same and what they feel for each other is strong enough to overcome any spell you could have come up with. I'm sure you understood you couldn't completely erase all of Mars' latent feelings for the Princess. However, I think what you failed to understand the most is the strength the Princess possesses."

"Don't start preaching to me!" Kei snapped back.

Pluto looked down and shook her head slowly. After a moment she looked up and took a few steps toward the other woman. She waved her hand, causing her companion to stumble forward a little. "Can't you see this is over? Mars is beyond your reach, your forces are being decimated as we speak, and it's only a matter of time before you're the only one left. You can't hope to defeat  _all_  the senshi of this solar system. Do yourself a favor and give up. Ask for forgiveness."

" _Forgiveness_? Who the hell are you trying to fool?"

Pluto sighed, "It's over. You can't accomplish your goal anymore. If you are wise, you'd do as I say."

Kei stepped forward, toward Pluto, but her eyes focused on two other senshi. She stopped in front of the older woman and looked her, " _I_  will bring an end to all of this." Kei said and pushed Pluto aside. The senshi of time fell to the ground and stared in horror as the other woman raised her hand in the air and began to collect a large amount of energy.

"Ultimate Chaos Flare!"

* * *

Sailor Moon began to do the same as she moved toward the other girl as well, trying to meet her half-way. Just before their lips could touch, Rei stopped and pulled back a little, causing Usagi to stare at her curiously. Rei tensed up for a moment, something was coming at them and it was very dangerous. She let go of Sailor Moon and jumped to her feet. She was already transformed once she was standing fully. She looked where she felt the energy and her eyes widened at the massive amount of energy shooting towards them. Sailor Moon stood beside her in the same state of shock.

'It's too big, there's no way to avoid it!' Mars thought as she saw oncoming attack. Mars turned to Sailor Moon for a moment and tried to think of something, but only one thing came to mind. "Chikusho!" Mars cursed and ran in front of Sailor Moon to offer her at least some protection from the blast.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Moon asked.

"Just stay behind me!" Mars ordered.

"No! I just got you back and can't lose you again…not like this." Moon pleaded and ran in front of her protector.

"Damn it, Usagi! If you're hit by that…" Mars started to say, only to be cut off by Sailor Moon.

"I'm not moving!" Moon said resolutely.

Mars hung her head slightly, "When did you become so stubborn?" Sailor Moon just smiled happily, despite the situation. Mars looked past the Moon Princess for a moment, they were out of time and she knew it. She wrapped her arms around the blonde and rested her chin on the other girl's shoulder before whispering in her ear, "I'm sorry…this is all I can do."

"If I still had the power to transform into Eternal Moon, I'm sure I could stop this." Moon commented.

Mars pulled back a little to look at Moon and stared straight into her eyes, "Hey, if this is the way it's going to be, I'm happy just as long as I was able to look upon you again with my true eyes. You gave that back to me." The darker haired of the two started to drop to her knees, bringing the girl she held with her. She hazarded one more look, before quickly looking back to Sailor Moon; she wanted more time with her…they hadn't even started. She made a silent prayer at that moment for them to survive this…somehow. "Close your eyes." Mars did the same and they both anticipated the inevitable.

….

…

…...

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars blinked together, everything was silent. There was no noise whatsoever. There were no sounds of battle, there was nothing, save for an eerie silence. Mars let go of Moon a little, as they tried to determine what exactly just happened. Suddenly a far-away sounding voice startled the two girls…

"I'm sorry for the role I played in all of this." Pluto said as she looked down at Moon and Mars.

"What's going on?" Moon asks.

"I've used my Time Stop ability. It's a forbidden action that will allow the two of you to escape the blast." Pluto stated.

"What do you mean 'forbidden'? What will happen to you?" Mars inquired as she got up and stepped toward the senshi of time.

"I will die." Pluto said without emotion.

"NO! You can't!" Moon cried from a kneeling position.

"This is my fate, it was one of the possible outcomes and I accept that. I've committed a sin against the laws of nature and I must pay the price for my actions. Please don't be upset Princess; you have a lot to live for. I hope you understand that I've always had your best interests in mind." Pluto said remorsefully.

"Why would you just give up your life like this?" Mars questioned.

Pluto look at Mars sadly, "I am most sorry for all that you had to go through, Rei. Not all paths are a straight line, some take dangerous turns and those aren't the easiest to maneuver. Unfortunately your path back to Usagi was a most difficult path, but you over came it. I'm sure you understand how long and difficult it was as you are now. I'm sorry everything played out like it did and for my part in it."

"Baka…you're giving up your life for the two of us, and you're apologizing to  _me_ , baka!" Mars yelled.

Pluto smiled down at Mars and looked at the crying Moon Princess, "Please get away from here. I can't stop time for much longer and if the two of you were still caught up in this; that would make my efforts worthless."

"Why? I don't want to lose any of my important friends!" Moon cried.

"Don't be sad, Princess. I already told you this is my decision and besides there is no turning back now. So please leave, it is far past time you should have gotten away from here." Pluto said firmly.

Mars leaned down to Sailor Moon and pulled her up off the ground, "Usagi…" she said anxiously.

"But…" Moon started to say when she turned around to look at Mars' face. She could see that her eyes were swimming in unshed tears, 'She must be fighting so hard with herself not to cry.'

"There's nothing more we can do." Mars said sadly and took Sailor Moon's hand in her own, "Let's do like Setsuna says and get away from here." The blonde haired girl nodded her head slowly. Sailor Moon tightened her grip on the other girl's hand and Mars in turn did the same thing, before the two senshi sprinted off away from the senshi of time.

'Good they're finally getting out of harm's way; I can't freeze time for much longer. Maybe some day we will meet again, but until that time, good-bye my friends…' Pluto thought as she released the spell and closed her eyes as she accepted her fate.

As suddenly as the noise was silenced, the roar of battle filled the ears of the senshi of flames and the Moon Princess once more. Sailor Moon stopped immediately when she heard the noises of battle again, forcing Mars to do the same. Both girls looked back where they'd just come from. Moon's eyes filled with tears once again as she watched the attack run its course, straight through where they left Pluto. She felt her hand being squeezed gently and closed her eyes, allowing a few tears to escape. Without a word she ran into Mars' arms and buried her face in the other girl's shoulder. She was mumbling something but Mars couldn't make out what it was, so she just comforted her as best she could.

Even as she soothed her crying princess, her eyes found themselves focused on where the attack from a few moments ago came from. The battle wasn't over yet…

End Ch. 32

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally after many chapters Rei is returned to normal, but it comes at the cost of another friend.


	33. Battle's End

Chapter 33 – Battle's End

* * *

Tuxedo Kamen sat on the ground silently. His eyes were fixed on two people and only two people. He'd seen everything from his position. He was left feeling numb, which he couldn't understand. He thought he'd readied himself for what he would see. 'I guess one can never prepare themselves for seeing the one they love kiss and embrace another…' It wasn't until this moment that he truly regretted leaving like he did, 'Perhaps I should have stayed and enjoyed all the time I could with her.' The dark haired man shook his head slightly, 'There's no going back now and besides that…it would have always been in the back of my mind.' He took a deep breath and lowered his head, even at this moment he could feel his connection with her start to fade and yet despite that, he could still feel how strong her feelings were for her senshi.

Suddenly he heard a loud noise to his left, causing him to turn his head in that direction. He saw Pluto laying on the ground, as well as a massive amount of energy flying toward Sailor Moon and Rei. He tried to force his battered body to get up…to do something. It was hopeless. He couldn't even get on his knees to crawl. He punched the ground angrily and looked back to the two girls, hoping they could get away. It was too late; he knew it and it seemed that they did as well. The Prince of Earth closed his eyes tightly and hoped for some divine intervention. Within moments, he heard a loud boom and felt the ground shake somewhat, but he kept his eyes closed, fearing what he'd see if he opened them. Eventually his need to know won out and he opened his eyes. Much to his shock, both girls stood a good distance away from where he just saw them and looked to be unharmed. He was sure he heard the explosion from that attack, yet by some miracle they were unharmed. The tuxedo clad man sighed in relief. Though he still couldn't figure out what happened exactly, he couldn't have had his eyes closed for more than a few  _long_  seconds…

* * *

The youma came out swinging as the first of them to reach Venus quickly threw a punch aimed at her head. She tilted her head away from the oncoming fist and let the youma's momentum take over, allowing him to simply stumble past her. The next one took a different approach and tried to take her legs out from underneath her. He slid just before reaching her, but Venus simply jumped over him. The other two decided to try attacking her at the same time. One tried to kick her mid-section, while the other threw a punch at her face. Venus smiled, they telegraphed their attacks making blocking them almost too easy. She bent her left leg up to her chest, effectively blocking the kick, while she simply caught the other youma's fist with her right hand.

"If this is all you can do, I'll end this quickly." Venus said, but only received an unintelligible growl from the two youma. She sighed quietly; they probably didn't even understand what she just said. There wasn't any need to hold a conversation with these guys anyway. Venus kicked her leg out sharply at the same time as she shoved her arm forward; forcing the two youma she'd been blocking to stumble back.

As soon as she was no longer tangled up, the other youma came at her from behind. Venus could hear the heavy steps of the youma behind her and swung around sharply. As soon as she faced the youma, she was forced to offer up a hasty block with her left arm because she saw a fist directed at the side of her face. She was able to change the direction of the attack, so his fist simply traveled past her head. With the youma so close, she took the opportunity to kick him in the mid-section, knocking him back to the ground. Before the youma could get up again, she decided to finish him off and call out her strongest attack.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

She barely had time to watch to make she her attack was successful when she felt something strike her back, causing her to fall forward. "Ow…" The blond senshi whispered under her breath. She pushed herself off the ground and touched her lower back. She gasped out suddenly as she applied pressure to one particular spot. The attack didn't break skin or anything, but she was sure she had a nasty bruise where she was hit. She let her hand drop to her side and she turned to the two remaining youma.

"Venus Wink Chain Sword!"

Venus pointed the golden sword at the youma, "You are so going to pay for that…" She held the golden weapon tightly and charged the two youma.

The two youma appeared to be surprised, whether that be because of Venus' attack or the fact that she was currently charging them with the fullest intentions to end their lives, it wasn't clear. Both of them looked at each other for a moment, but it didn't seemed either had an answer to what was coming at them. Neither youma had any melee weapons, so they attacked the only way they could. Both youma threw an energy attack at the blonde haired warrior.

Venus dodged the attacks by slightly changing her path to the youma, allowing them crash harmlessly into the ground. The youma didn't learn their lesson because they continued to throw the same attacks at the senshi of love, while she continued to avoid them until she finally reached the youma. She stopped in front of them, "You shouldn't stand so close to one another...it only makes this easier." Venus said and with one swift diagonal slice of her sword, she cut down the two youma together.

* * *

Uranus entered her fighting stance and sprinted toward the remaining youma. She immediately engaged the first youma she reached, throwing a flurry of punches at the unprepared creature and sending him on the defensive. After a number of attacks connected, he was sent to ground. She looked to her left, at the next closest youma and perform a high leg kick to his jaw, dropping the monster after one hit. The next one seemed to catch on before his companions because he attacked the senshi of wind first.

The youma performed a quick jab, but Uranus leaned away from oncoming attack. Being off balance, she took advantage of the opening and punched him across the side of his face, sending him reeling, but he remained in a standing position. To bring the youma down, she crouched down and swept his legs out from underneath him before he could regain his bearings. Uranus now turned her sights to the only youma she hadn't engaged yet

She watched as the other youma charged at her similar to the last youma, but this one tried to kick her instead of trying to punch her. She blocked it with her own leg and ducked as she saw the youma's fist drawing closer. From her lowered position, she punched him in the stomach, causing him to bend over. She quickly stood straight up again and locked her hands together before driving them down into his back and sending him crashing to the ground.

"I think I've played with you long enough." Uranus said and leapt high into the air, summoning her talisman to her hand. The sword appeared moments later and she quickly held it above her head.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

The senshi of wind swung the sword down several times in rapid succession, sending a number of arch shaped energy blades down toward the group of youma. She watched as the youma tried to scatter; only two of them were successful. The less fortunate ones were easily shredded to pieces by the blades. As was inevitable, Uranus began to make her way back down to the ground. Seeing that she was vulnerable as she descended, one of the youma jumped at her from behind. The youma collided with her mid-air and wrapped his arms around the senshi of wind, locking his hands around her stomach. Together they crashed back to the ground.

Uranus and the youma both got to their feet, while continuing to struggle with each other. The senshi of wind was trying to reach behind her to grab the youma, but was continually finding that unsuccessful. For his part the youma was frantically attempting to keep his hold on the senshi, as she continued to resist. After a short time longer, Uranus stopped struggling, much to the surprise of the youma. So he looked around the girl as best he could to see what happened.

The other youma was currently preparing his attack, causing the youma holding Uranus to laugh a little. The one creature held his hands above his head for a second before pointing them at the Sailor Senshi. A ball of blue energy shot out of his hands, while the senshi of wind just watched it approach. Just as the attack was about to reach her, Uranus looked over her shoulder at the youma holding her and smiled. Before he even knew what was going on, she turned around so that now she was facing away from the attack, putting the youma in line with it. She could hear him cry out as soon as he was struck in the back and at about the same time he released the senshi. Uranus quickly leapt away, so as to avoid taking any damage from the attack herself. Once she was separated from him, he fell to the ground, dead.

"Now it's your turn…" Uranus said and held her hands above her head this time. A large yellow orb formed in her hands and once it was complete she threw her hand to the ground and called out the attack's name.

"World Shaking!"

The energy left her hand and flew to where the youma stood, tearing through the ground in its path. It didn't take very long for it to reach the youma and when it did, it tore through him like he was paper thin.

* * *

Jupiter clutched her hands tightly at her sides and ran forward to meet the youma. However, as she reached them the larger youma spilt up while the small one hung to the back. She eyed them cautiously to see what they were doing, but they didn't show any signs of doing  _anything_. Out of the corner of her eye though, Jupiter could see the youma that had kept his distance raise his hand above his head and make a circular motion with his finger in the air. After doing the same movement three times, three white rings appeared above his head. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but he clearly had something planned. She looked around, 'I have to do something about these guys before I can do anything about him though…' she thought when an idea struck her. She held her hand in the air before calling out her desired attack.

"Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!"

A swirling wind surrounded the senshi of thunder. The wind slowly expanded further around her until it reached the three youma around her. They were quickly swept up in vicious winds, sending them spiraling into the air.

Jupiter now directed her attention to the smallest of the youma that challenged her. She ran at him, but as soon as she did, she saw him flick his wrist in her direction. As he pointed toward her, the white rings he created flew over her head. She looked up and was going to disregard them when they began to descend toward her. She was about to run, when she realized the rings were already encircling her. The youma closed his hand into a fist and the rings tightened around her body; one around her legs, just above her knees, the next effectively pined her arms to her side as it tightened around her waist, and the final lay around her chest, just below her shoulders.

The senshi of lightning struggled against the constraints, but found that despite her efforts they didn't budge. She looked at the youma that created the bindings and saw that he had his hands pointed at her. 'He must still be channeling energy into them.' Jupiter silently surmised. As she stared at the youma her eyes caught movement from the other three youma. She looked around and saw that all of them had gotten up and were now walking toward her.

"Sorry I'm not into this kind of stuff and even if I was, you guys definitely aren't my type." Jupiter said and smiled slightly afterwards.

The youma didn't say anything; they simply continued to head for the senshi of lightning. Once she was within reach they stopped, one on each side of her, as well as one behind her. Each youma grabbed onto the middle binding and grinned at the senshi.

Jupiter looked the youma to her left then at the one to her right, "I guess you guys to have a couple brain cells in those heads of yours after all." She closed her eyes for a moment and an antenna extended from her tiara, "I'll let you know right now that you're playing a dangerous game grouping up this close to me…"

Just as she opened her mouth to call out her attack, she felt a familiar tingling sensation in her arm. 'I haven't even done my attack yet…' Jupiter thought and instinctively looked over the youma. The youma were gripping the white ring around her tightly and after a moment they yelled out something she didn't even understand. Immediately following their yell, Jupiter felt her body go numb and if it wasn't for the sound the attack gave off she probably wouldn't have even known what it was. She clenched her teeth and looked down, but before she knew it the sensation left her body and she felt that she was no longer being restrained. The senshi of lightning took a few wobbly steps forward before nearly falling down. She shook her head slightly and steadied her legs as best she could. "You call  _that_  an electrical attack…?" Jupiter asked dangerously, even as she struggled to maintain her balance. She balled her hands into tight fists, causing lightning to arch around her closed hand, "You chose the wrong person to pick a fight with!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

The three youma closest to her were vaporized almost instantly as the electrically charged energy tore through them as they stood next her in shock. They didn't seem to have a back-up plan if that technique failed, leaving them wide open to a counterattack. Unfortunately for them, they were fighting the senshi whose element was the very base of their attack.

Jupiter looked around for a moment to find the remaining youma. Finally her eyes fell on the small creature. As their eyes met, she could see defeat there, it seemed he understood that his time was up as well. "That just leaves you…" the senshi of lightning said and took a couple steps at the youma. The creature looked scared out of his mind before coming to his senses and doing the only recourse he thought he had left…he ran for his life. "I don't think so!" Jupiter yelled before running after the youma. For a small youma he wasn't as fast as Jupiter thought he'd be, so once he was within range, she called out her attack.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

She threw the sphere of electrical energy at the youma as hard as she could. She watched the attack for a few seconds to make sure it hit its target. The attack sped toward the youma and even when it reached him; it shot right through him, leaving a gapping hole in his torso. After a moment, he fell to the ground motionless.

* * *

Mercury watched the youma intently. The foggy mist seemed to have caused some confusion among them, because they were no longer running at her like they were a short time ago. She quietly walked closer to the youma while watching them to see if they noticed her. Once she was as close as she felt she could get without drawing attention to herself she stopped and used her attack close range in order to take as many as the youma she could.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

As soon as she called out her attack, the youma turned in her direction, her voice giving away her position. Even though they could react to where she was, avoiding the attack was an entirely different matter. The two youma closest to her, who happened to be the fire specialist and therefore more susceptible to water base attacks anyway, were struck full force by her attack. The other two youma weren't able to avoid the attack much better. Instead they did the easier thing and used their comrades as shields.

Mercury was about to move from her location when she saw something flying at her. Her eyes widened as she realized exactly what it was; one of the youma she just hit with her attack. She dove out of the way of the corpse, causing it to narrowly miss her. When she started to get up, she saw the other youma flying towards her. She scrambled to get out of the way, but the youma landed on her legs causing her to cry out in surprise. The youma wasn't very heavy and it was decomposing rapidly, but that fact only made it grosser. She kicked the youma off her legs and again began to get off the ground, since she'd mostly already given away her location to the two remaining youma, she needed to move from where she was. She stood up only to stand right in front of the two youma she was trying to keep her distance from.

One of the youma started throwing wild punches at the air in one direction, while the other started to do the same, only he was much closer to the senshi of water. She backed away as quickly as she could, while trying not to make any noise. Once she was a safe distance away, she looked the youma; they weren't ones she wanted to take on in a hand to hand fight. She looked around and noticed the fog was beginning to get thinner, 'I better end this before they can realize exactly where I am.' She thought and shut her eyes while she concentrated on drawing out the power for her attack.

"Mercury Aqua Mirage!"

The senshi of water spun around sending a number of energized balls of water cascading down upon the two youma. They tried to avoid the onslaught, but there were too many and before long Mercury's attack pounded them into dust.

* * *

Sailor Neptune stood silently as she watched the youma's remains fall to the ground. After a moment, she took a quick side step to her left and watched as a youma stumbled forward. Just about a second later, she crouched down to the ground, allowing another youma to fly over her head. She could hear the growls from the youma in front of her, so she pointed her mirror at that creatures, "I could see you just fine."

One of the youma quickly threw a ball of green energy at the mirror, but the object disappeared before the attack reached its target. Neptune shook her head for a moment and looked as though she was going to say something when both youma got up and charged her again, so she entered her fighting stance instead.

The senshi of the seas waited for the youma to reach her. They didn't seem very bright or strong for that matter, so there wasn't any need to waste unnecessary energy. At least she could give them a bit of a fight before ending everything.

Rather than attacking together, they decided to attack one at time. The first youma attacked high, by throwing a wild punch at the senshi's head, but she swiftly blocked the attempt with her left arm. She quickly retaliated by spinning away from where the punch originated from and elbowing the youma in the face as she did so, sending him to the ground after she connected with him. Upon seeing the first youma fail, the second one ran at Neptune. This youma attempted to punch her in her mid-section, but she caught his fist. She turned it sharply, sending him spinning to the ground.

She looked at the two pitiful youma and turned away from them, before jumping a little away from them. She held her hands in the air, intending to end them before they could even get back up again, but to her surprise she saw them getting up already. They were stubborn at least. Only out of mild curiosity did she hold her hand to watch to see what they would do. She sighed as they merely charged her again blindly. Neptune continued to hold her hands above her head calmly as looked at the youma charging her again; this time together, but their being beside each other only unknowingly gave Neptune an easier target.

"Deep Submerge!"

The blue orb left her hands as soon as they pointed out her target, or in this case targets. Neptune walked away before even watching her attack run its course. She knew it would succeed simply after fighting them; she was out of their league.

* * *

"She's dead! She's dead because of you!" Kei cried and pointed her finger accusingly at Sailor Moon. "She's dead because of her duty to protect you!" She continued to yell hysterically.

Mars could feel the girl she was holding stiffen at the accusations being thrown her way. Within moments, she could feel her body shaking and she knew the other girl was crying. After taking a second to glare at the woman behind all of her Princess' pain; Mars put her hand under her chin and tilted her head up so she that could look into her eyes. She wiped away the wetness beneath those beautiful blue eyes before calmly saying, "It's not your fault. Pluto, no Setsuna, made a choice of her own free will. She chose to do that to save us, her friends. She didn't do it out of duty, she did it out of friendship. So don't you go feeling guilty! You saved me and now I'm going to return the favor!" Mars finished by giving Moon a quick but tender kiss on the lips, surprising her slightly.

"I'll kill you myself now!"

Mars let go of Sailor Moon and stepped in front of her when she let out a frantic cry, "You won't lay one finger on her as long as there is strength left in my body!" Mars' eyes darkened slightly as she glared at the other woman. Her stare would have brought most to their knees, but it seemed Kei had gone over the edge and lost what little sanity she had left after Pluto sacrificed herself. "I have reason enough to end your life for what you've done to me, but the threats you continue to pose against the person care about most in this world are unforgivable. Forget about doing anything to her, I'll be your opponent! So if you want to attack someone, here I am." Mars said and walked to Kei.

"If I have to go through you to kill her, you can die first. It was always my intention to kill you eventually anyway." Kei threatened.

"You  **won't**  make it past me." Mars said determinedly.

Sailor Moon watched from the same spot Mars had left her. She seemed different; more confident, more determined, as if she changed somehow. Moon knew Mars to be confident, borderline cocky even, but watching Mars stand protectively in front of her... she knew, something told her that Mars had reason to be so confident. 'Did she gain something from all of this?' Moon thought and remembered something, 'The first thing she called me was Serenity, not Usagi, or even Sailor Moon. She called me Serenity. Does that have anything to do with this?' She'd assumed it had to do with the other girl calling her by that name since being reunited with her, but what if that wasn't it.

Sailor Moon looked from Mars to Kei and back again, she could see they held nothing but anger for each other in their eyes. Mars looked at the other woman with a new determination to protect Sailor Moon from harm, while the woman opposite Mars seemed to have lost everything except for her hatred. Moon couldn't see this ending without blood shed, 'She's putting her life on the line for me again and all I'm doing is sitting back and watching. Not anymore, I won't sit back and let you fight alone.' The Moon Princess thought and started to approach Mars.

Without turning around Mars spoke, "Don't come any closer, Serenity." Sailor Moon stopped immediately upon hearing what Mars said, "I'll protect you from her. Her goal has been your life since the beginning; she tried to use me as a pawn to do that deed for her. She wanted your suffering to be infinite, and she chose me to be the one to bring you that suffering. At first, she thought she could make me join her of my own free will, but she was mistaken. I would never willingly harm you in any way, so she decided to use me the only way she could at that point, she tried to make me some mindless slave. She even failed in that attempt because you saw through my outward aggressions and you helped me break free of the bonds she place on my heart and soul. So I'm telling you not to come any closer. If you do, she will strike at you. Don't put yourself in unnecessary danger."

"I want to help you." Sailor Moon pleaded.

Mars looked over her shoulder to the blond haired girl and smiled, "You already have. You helped me recover my memories from this time and my full memories from the Silver Millennium. You gave me knowledge of my training from all those years ago, of my power of that forgotten time, of the boundless depths of love I've  _always_  felt for you. From the first time I met you and learned I would have the role of protecting you as one of your senshi my heart leapt with joy. I swore an oath to protect you long ago, but I  _never_  took that oath out of duty or obligation, I took that oath out of an infinite love for you. Being the Princess gave me justification for protecting you, but had you been anyone else my reason would be the same. You've always held my heart in your hands whether you knew it or not because I love you, Serenity…Usagi…Sailor Moon, by whichever name you wish me to call you. My love for you will always be the same and neither time nor even death could ever dampen my feelings for you."

Sailor Moon's vision of blurred and she felt wetness on her cheeks. She wiped away as much wetness as she could with her gloved hands, but no matter how many times she cleared her vision it blurred again from new waves of tears. Sailor Moon tried to say something, but her voice caught in her throat.

"I'll fight for you again. I'll fight for you as your guardian. As the Princess, I  _will_ protect you. As the one and only person I've ever truly loved, I'll  _never_  let any harm come to you. I've died for you twice, but this won't be a third. You've given me a new lease on life and I love you too much to let this go to waste." Mars said.

Finally, Sailor Moon willed words to form after much effort, "I feel the same. I can't just stand off to the side as you put your life on the line! Don't you understand? Any pain I might feel from getting hurt, pales in comparison to the pain I'll feel if I must watch you get hurt. You don't have to do this alone; I'm here with you now, so let's do this together." She said, taking a couple steps toward Mars afterward.

"…Such a touching moment." Kei said disgustedly. "I'll make this easy for you, the two of you can die together!" she said and lifted her hand above her head.

"Chaos Wave!"

"I already told you, I won't let you lay one finger on her!" Mars yelled and looked back to Kei. The senshi of fire bent low to the ground, touching it with her right hand before uttering the words of her attack.

"Wall of Flames!"

Fire erupted from the ground and encircled Mars and Moon. Mars lifted her hand from the ground and stared at it, 'I still have this power?' Moon looked around in awe at the fire that surrounded them and let a little smile cross her lips, she felt safe with Rei's fire all around her. The wall of flames stood firm as the attack collided with it loudly. After a few seconds the flames absorbed the blast of black energy Kei sent at them. Shortly after, the flames began to fade as though they were never there. When the flames completely dispersed Moon and Mars stood unharmed.

"Impossible!" She said, more to herself than anything, as she watched her attack have no effect.

The dark haired warrior of Mars shook her head, "You just don't know when to quit. Let me say this one more time: I won't allow you to touch her. I'll stake my life on protecting her!" Mars declared.

Kei' eyes widened for a moment at her words. After a second or so, she regained a small amount of composure, "Do my ears deceive me or are we replaying history?"

"Do not mistake me for the child I was then!" Mars said as her gaze on the other woman hardened further.

Sailor Moon looked between both women again, 'What's going on?  _Replaying histo_ ry?' "What does she mean?"

"Yes, Mars tell her so she can know everything. Tell her why. There's no reason to hold anything back any more!" Kei said arrogantly.

Mars glared at Kei before turning back to her Princess, "Remember I told you her aim has always been your life? That goes for our previous lives as well."

"How do you…?" Moon asked quietly.

"I was there…"

 _Flashback_ – Silver Millennium…Diana – 7, Serenity – 6

"Princess you shouldn't be awake at this hour. The Queen will become cross with you again." Diana said as she entered the Princess' bedroom. The room was dark, but she had learned to adjust her eyes to adapt in any situation, darkness was no different. Besides, she set her mind on becoming the strongest senshi the moment she laid eyes on the Princess. The room was filled with an eerie silence, 'But I know I heard someone in here…' she thought when she felt someone. Another thing she'd been taught was that, as a Sailor Senshi, sensing other auras was essential. So she did as taught, she cleared her mind and focused on the presences in the room. She found it remarkably easy to do so. In the room, she could sense three others other than herself. One aura she immediately recognized as Serenity's, the second she couldn't recognize but she felt no malice in the presence, the third however, frightened her like nothing she felt before. The third presence was overwhelming; it was full of anger and intent to kill. Diana froze and could feel her body shake, 'I've never been in the presence of someone so utterly hate filled.'

The silence was finally broken by one of the presences in the room, "You're such a fool!"

The other responded by saying, "I won't let you harm her!"

'Harm her? Does she mean Serenity?' Diana thought. 'One of them wants to hurt Serenity? I can't let them…' she thought and tried to force her legs to move, but she found that her body couldn't seem to react to what her mind was telling it to do.

"And I won't let you stop me. Killing her will end the line and free you." The other presence said.

"I did not ask for freedom. I'm content with my place. I don't know who put these lies in your head, but if you do not cease your attack on the Princess, I will forcibly stop you."

"You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me. I will release you." Diana could hear one of the women mumbling some type of chant.

"You wouldn't…" The one started to say, but the other had finished their chant by that time.

She ended her chant by saying, "Capture…"

Diana gasped in surprised. Whatever the woman did, she could feel it was a powerful spell. She also, unwittingly announced her presence to the room's occupants. If one could feel when they were being stared at, she could feel the dangerous woman staring at her.

"The child destined to inherit the fires of Mars, eh?"

"Run from here child! This is no place for you!"

Diana heard the other person call to her, but her mind still seemed to be having a problem communicating with her legs. She remained fixed her position, her mind was even telling her to run away, but she just…couldn't. 'Am I afraid, is that it? Is it my fear what's keeping me here? I know I'm afraid, but there's something more.'

-  
 _"When you complete your training, protecting Princess Serenity will be your duty. You must always put her life ahead of your own."  
-_

'Is it because of Princess Serenity that I can't run away? I have a duty to protect her, but that's not it. I  _want_  to protect her. I don't know what use I can be here, but I can't think only of myself and run away.' The young girl thought and tried to mentally prepare herself, she'd never been in a real battle, only mock fights with Sailor Mars.

"Why are you still here child, run!" the voice called to her.

"Yes, run. Someone as weak as you has no right to be here. I'll kill you before you take one step."

The girl took a deep breath and charged forward toward the Princess' bed, she was banking on the sinister one to be bluffing.

"Ho…ho…What do we have here?" the menacing one said as she watched the young girl run to the Princess. "Isn't she the brave one? If I am right and you are the child from Mars, you have precognitive abilities, and for you to still charge in after what you feel coming from me, then perhaps stupid would be a better word to describe you."

Diana disregarded the taunts and continued forward, avoiding the woman who stood beside Serenity's bed. She had one goal at the moment; get herself between that woman and the Princess. Upon reaching her destination, she planted one foot in the ground and spun around to face the woman. She stood in front of the Princess' bed protectively, before pulling out a dagger from its holder on her waist and positioning it in front of herself, "I won't let you harm her!" She said confidently. Only the near constant shaking of her hand weakened her threat, 'Stop shaking damn it!' she scolded herself.

"What do you hope to accomplish child? You're already shaking like a leaf in a strong breeze." The cold woman said, clearly not impressed with the young girl at all.

"I  **will**  protect her. I'll stake my life on protecting her!" Diana yelled defiantly.

Diana could hear the rustling of sheets behind her followed by quietly mumbled words. Serenity finally began to stir after Diana's loud declaration. Diana cursed herself silently for being so loud. She knew the Princess wasn't the quickest riser, but she could tell that she was waking up. 'It would have been better for her to have remained asleep she'll only become frightened now.'

"Good, our little sleeping beauty is finally waking up." The woman standing before Diana said. She smiled menacingly at the young girl, "Now she'll be able to see one of her prospective guardians die right before her eyes, before she dies herself." She snapped her fingers and the room's lights turned on, forcing Diana to squint her eyes at the unexpected light and aiding in the Princess' waking.

Behind her, Diana heard the young Princess mumble something about not wanting to get up and it being too early. Had she not been in the situation she was in, Diana would have made some witty comment, but this was one occasion she wished the Princess wouldn't wake.

Serenity cracked open her eyes slightly and mumbled, "Who turned on the lights?"

"Go back to sleep." Diana whispered under her breath.

She recognized that voice and despite what she was just told she opened her eyes wider. The first thing she saw was the back of her friend, "Diana, what…?" She stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of the imposing woman in front of Diana. She sat up and managed to see her friend pointing a weapon at the woman.

"Don't move, this woman is dangerous." The dark haired girl warned.

The woman smiled and looked at Serenity, "She's right. You'd already be dead if she hadn't interrupted me. Of course, she's simply delaying the inevitable…" She said, her smile turning into a smirk at the end.

Diana could hear Serenity move to the other end of her bed, farther away from the woman, "Stop trying to scare her!"

"I'm going to do far worse than just scare her; I'm going to kill her." She said, laughing at the end. Diana held her dagger firmer and glared at the woman. "Stop pointing dangerous things at me." She said and in the blink of an eye, she grabbed the girl's wrist. "You know your wrist can only turn so much before it takes structural damage. If you're smart you'll drop that weapon before I break your wrist." She quickly turned the girl's wrist causing her to cry out painfully, "Hmm…" She watched her to see if she showed any signs of loosening her grip, when she didn't see any, she turned the girl's wrist further. Diana cried out again, this time louder than before and her grip on the weapon's handle loosened but she quickly tightened her grip again, defiantly.

"Stop it!" Serenity called from her bed. "Diana, just let go." She pleaded with her friend. The dark haired girl bit down on her lower lip painfully and shook her head fiercely.

"There's your answer Princess, she chooses pain." The woman said before preparing to inflict further pain upon the girl. However, as she started to turn her wrist the girl was already crying out again and whether by her choice or not, she lost her grip on the dagger and it slipped through her hand. The malicious woman released the girl and caught the blade in her hand as it fell and looked at it for moment, "Martian craftsmen truly are the best…but you won't be needing this." She said and tossed the weapon over her back shoulder. "That was more than I thought you'd be able to withstand, so I commend you."

Diana was on one knee holding her wrist as she glared at the despicable woman, "I don't need your praise." She said and stood up.

She shrugged her shoulders, "So be it then…" She charged the girl and quickly kneed her in the stomach before she could even react. Diana hunched forward as the other woman stood over her. She brought her hands together, interlacing her fingers and drove her hands down onto the other girl's upper back, sending her to the hard floor. She watched as the young girl tried to get back up, but shook her head as she couldn't. She bent down and grabbed Diana by the collar and pulled her to her feet again.

"Kei stop! She is a child!"

She shook her head, "She became a warrior the moment she challenged me, so she's fair game!" She raised her hand again and hit the dark haired girl, causing her to stumble to the side, but not fall. She was grabbed by her collar again to prevent any chance of that. This time she held Diana in place as she brought hand back again, it was in the form of fist this time though. Just she was about to strike the girl, she heard the Princess.

"Leave her alone, you brute!"

The woman holding Diana up tossed her to the side roughly, causing her to cry out weakly when she collided with the ground. Serenity covered her mouth as she watched her friend grimace in pain on her bedroom floor.

"What did you call me?"

Serenity wiped her eyes of wetness and stared at the woman angrily, "A brute! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"I guess you wish me to kill you right now, then?" Kei said as she started to walk towards the Princess, but she stumbled a bit. She instinctively looked at the ground and saw a small hand around her boot. Lying on the floor just behind her was the girl she'd just thrown down and she currently held the woman back from getting any closer to her Princess. She tried to pull her foot away, but found the girl had a surprisingly strong hold on it. "Let me go kid." She said dangerously.

Diana tilted her head upwards slightly, "N-No. I-I won't let you hurt Serenity."

The woman's face contorted in anger, " _Let me_!  _Let me_!" She kicked the girl's arm that held her foot, causing her to gasp out in pain, but her grip got even tighter. She could hear the woman curse after she wasn't immediately successful, but it only seemed to make her redouble her efforts to make Diana let go. She kicked her several more time in the same spot on her arm and despite her effort to maintain her hold; Diana was forced to release her. She felt a painful snapping sensation in arm and screamed out against her will. Despite the mind-numbing pain, she could still sense the other woman looming over her.

Kei leaned down and grabbed the girl by her hair before pulling her to her feet by her long tresses. "Tell me how you intend to stop me now?"

Diana swung her uninjured arm at the woman, but she blocked the weak punch without much effort. The woman quickly let go of the girl's hair and grabbed her throat before she could fall down. She lifted Diana off the ground and held her a little away from herself as she kicked wildly. "You haven't learned your lesson yet, have you?" She watched her continue to kick at her with a look of mild amusement. "I guess I'll just have to beat the resistance out of you." She said and reared back her fist before mercilessly striking the girl's mid-section.

Serenity watch in horror as Diana was hit again and again. She felt sick to her stomach as the woman continued to hit her defenseless friend. 'How can she be so cruel?' Before she even realized it tears began to silently fall down her cheeks as she watched the scene.

"Call to your mother."

The Moon Princess was brought out of her daze-like state by a woman's voice. She looked to her left and saw a person she wasn't familiar with, in what appeared to be suspended animation. "What?"

"Call to your mother." She repeated

"How?" She stared at the green haired woman curiously.

"Mentally. Don't call for her verbally; you'll only draw attention to yourself." She paused for a moment and glanced over to Kei and Diana, "Only your mother can save Diana now. You have to do it now."

"Okay…" Serenity conceded and closed her eyes. 'Mama, please I need your help! Diana's in trouble!' She opened her eyes and to looked at the mysterious woman. After a moment she nodded her head in acknowledgment. She heard her friend gasp out in pain and her eyes were immediately brought back to her once more.

Kei was about to punch the girl again when she realized she was no longer struggling. She relaxed her hand and brought it to her side before opening her other hand, allowing the young girl to slip from her grasp. Diana fell to the ground, showing no movement. "Now, stay down this time!" The woman yelled at Diana. She turned away from the motionless girl and started to walk back to a very scared Serenity.

She felt like hell, there wasn't a part of her body that didn't hurt. The soreness she felt after training was nothing compared to this. She always thought Mars was cruel and unsympathetic toward her pain after training, but now…now she realized what it felt like to be in a real fight and it was harsher than anything Mars had ever put her through. She forced her body to go limp; she hoped the other woman would think she passed out or even died and release her. It was a gamble, but it paid off. She cracked open one eye and looked around, she still needed to find a way to stop that woman, Serenity was still in danger. Her eyes widened at the glint of metal to her left and a small smile spread across her lips.

Kei only got a few steps before she felt a pain stabbing sensation in her right leg. She fell to one knee and reached behind her leg to find the cause of her pain, when she felt a dagger protruding from the back of her leg. She looked over her shoulder and saw Diana lowering her hand while still lying on the ground.

"You little bitch!" She yelled and pulled the blade out of her leg and threw it to the ground. "Why do you keep fighting?"

"Because…because…she's….she's precious…to me…" Diana said through labored breaths. She looked past the woman threatening her life to the one she was protecting, Serenity. Diana could see the Princess' shocked expression, but Diana smiled at her anyway. The short moment was broken by a cold voice echoing through the room.

"You're a foolish little brat and you're already a slave to destiny aren't you?" She asked and looked at the young girl in disgust. "If that's the case, I'll kill you right now." She said and stood. She charged the girl with her own blade in hand.

Diana shut her eyes and awaited her fate, 'I can't do anything to stop her. I hope I made enough noise to wake someone else up at least.' She thought and closed her eyes even tighter, allowing a few stray tears to escape. 'I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…my Princess…'

"STOP IT!" Princess Serenity yelled and almost immediately after that, the room became filled with a bright white light.

Diana could hear Serenity's voice echo through the room, followed by a warm feeling, but she didn't open her eyes. 'Maybe I've already been sent to Elysium…' she thought, but when the light subsided, she could still feel the pain all over her body. 'I thought all the pain from life was supposed to go away in the next world.' She finally decided to crack her eyes and when she did, she saw a woman dressed all in white standing in front of her. She couldn't see exactly what happened from her point of view, but it was clear the woman saved her. Her eyes traveled upward until she reached the back of her head. She was starting to get a little light-headed and her vision was starting to become clouded. Yet, even in her state she had no doubt who was in the white gown, no one else had hair that color and no one wore their hair like she did, except her daughter even though she didn't posses as much hair nor was she anywhere near as tall. "Your majesty…" She whispered almost inaudibly before closing her eyes and slumping forward.

The silver haired woman held the blade firmly in her hand, unflinchingly even as a small trail of blood flowed down the blade to the grip before pooling there for moment and then proceeding to dripping onto the ground. The Queen silently touched the forefinger of her free hand to the assailant's forehead. After what couldn't have been more than second, the assailant's eyes closed and she fell to the ground. She looked at the blade in her hand for a second before dropping it to the ground. The Queen walked over to the green haired woman and dispelled the spell that had been placed on her. The dark haired woman looked like she was going to say something, but Serenity raised her hand and motioned for her to remain silent, "Return to the Gates of Time, I'll speak with you later." She said and in a moment, the woman was gone.

Princess Serenity jumped down from her bed and ran to her motionless friend. The young platinum blond knelt beside her and put her ear to her chest. Her eyes widened in fear and called for her mother, "Mama, she's not breathing!"

"Get the medical staff in here quickly!" Queen Serenity called to the guards at the door. One of them nodded and ran down the hall as fast as he could. "Take her to the maximum security detention center." She ordered and walked over the girl lying on the ground, beside her daughter. The remaining guards hurried into the room and seized the unconscious woman. Two guards grabbed one arm and two more grabbed her other arm, before proceeding to carrying her out of the room. "Make sure she properly restrained with our highest level magical restraints." She ordered before the guards left with the assailant.

"I-Is she going to be okay, mama?" The Princess asked her voice hoarse from her still flowing tears.

Queen Serenity turned to her daughter and addressed her, "She's going be fine, love. I won't let her lose her life here." She said and held her palm over the girl's chest. As she held her hand over her chest, her hand started to emit a white light, 'This child has such little power right now and yet she still protected my daughter with all that she had.' She brushed back some of the hair that covered the young girl's face, 'You will be a great warrior in time, my little Diana.'

_End Flashback_

"…I recovered quickly because of Queen Serenity's healing and you being by my side, but I never knew what happened to the woman who tried to kill you. That was until you helped me recover my memories." She said and her stare harden even more as she looked at Kei.

"Are you saying…?" Moon started to say.

"Yeah, it was her. I won't give her the opportunity to hurt you ever again." Mars said determinedly.

Sailor Moon lowered her head, "Thank you…" She said before raising her head to look at the dark haired girl, "…But I think she's hurt you far worse than she ever hurt me. Whether you like it or not, I'm with you on this. I'm not the same girl I was on the moon; you don't have fight  _for_  me, you can fight  _with_  me. There's no way we can lose if it's both of us, fighting together."

Mars stared at her Princess, 'She's not just Princess Serenity anymore…she's Sailor Moon, a defender of love and justice like me. Still…' "She dangerous…"

"It's alright, I'm with you and together we can do anything." Sailor Moon said, cutting off further excuses.

Mars lower her head and sighed, there was no winning this fight. Despite how much she tried to convince the other girl, she could see there was no way she'd see it her way. She looked back to Moon, "Fine, just don't do anything that could get yourself hurt."

"The same goes for you. Don't be reckless." Sailor Moon said and walked beside her senshi.

"Me? Reckless?" Mars repeated, allowing a small smile to spread across her lips. Moon was about to reply when another interrupted their conversation.

"Are you quite done? I've been waiting to finish this for a long time and if you're planning on staying there, I'll come at you." Kei said and kicked off the ground, charging the two girls.

* * *

"Silence Wall!"

The senshi of death and rebirth raised the weapon above her head, creating a dome of black energy. She didn't know what the youma had planned, but he was too relaxed for her liking.

"That again?" Ryuji asked and continued to walk toward the sailor senshi. "If I had to bet, I say there must be a limit to the amount of damage your shield can take before it fails. Is that right?" He asked a smiled at the end. The youma then held his weapon straight up into the air, "Allow me to show you my attack now…"

"Ultimate Blast!"

His weapon began to glow an eerie red for a moment before he swung it down. Saturn gripped her glaive tighter as she watched the wave of red energy shoot at her. Once the energy collided with her barrier she could feel how strong the blast was. The attack was enough to push the senshi of death and rebirth back a little, but her 'silence wall' remained intact. The young senshi wasn't given a moment to breathe because as soon as the energy let up, someone attacked her invisible shield, hitting it multiple times. Each time the attack grew more aggressive and before long Saturn was forced to drop to one knee as she tried to maintain her barrier, 'This can't be happening. I can't lose to you here!' She felt her arm falter after another strike from the youma. She tried to increase the strength of the 'wall', but before she could the youma had smashed it several more times. Saturn's eyes widened as she felt her defensive attack break under the relentless assault.

With her barrier down, the youma quickly kicked the girl in the chest, and forced her back to slam into the ground. Saturn cried out in pain and rolled onto her side, hugging her chest. The kick alone likely broke a couple ribs, judging by how much pain she was in. She froze when she felt something cold and sharp again her neck. She turned a head slightly and looked up at the youma. Without a second thought, she swatted at the broad side of the blade with her forearm, knocking it away from her throat.

"I guess, I should end this now…" Ryuji said and raised his weapon once again; this time he pointed the blade end down at Saturn.

Just before Ryuji could bring down the blade he paused for second and leapt back just before several arc shaped energy blades sliced through where he just stood. Before he could react, a large blue circular energy attack sailed toward him. He rolled away just before the attack collided with him. As soon as he stopped he found two more attacks headed in his direction, one was green and diamond shaped and the other was blue and looked like a jet of water. Ryuji cursed and pushed himself off the ground before leaping into the air to avoid the newest onslaught. He sighed in relief, but no soon than the breath had left his lips, his eyes widened at the small golden ball of concentrated energy heading directly at him. Unlike the other attacks, there was no avoiding this, he was in the air and the attack was coming too fast. He threw up his hands protectively, offering up the only defense he could. The energy ball collided with his forearms and exploded upon impact sending the creature flying backwards. He slammed into the ground loudly, the force shaking the moon's surface.

Saturn stared blankly forward for sometime, surprised she was still alive. She thought for sure she was a goner. She blinked as something white passed through her vision. Saturn looked at the gloved hand in front of her and followed it up to its owner, Uranus. "Need a hand?"

Saturn smiled and took the senshi of wind's offered help, "Thanks." Uranus pulled the younger girl to her feet. It took her a moment to steady herself, but she used her Silence Glaive for balance. She noticeably favored her right arm because she held it protectively against her side.

"Tsk…after all that…only Venus was able to hit him." Jupiter voiced, sounding a little annoyed.

A loud crash could be heard off where the youma landed, drawing all of the girl's attention. A large dust cloud obscured their view somewhat but the outline of something could be seen coming closer. It was obvious the youma still had some fight left in him.

"Looks like you'll get another shot, Jupiter." Venus stated.

Neptune looked over to the senshi of death and rebirth, "I didn't think you'd have so much trouble against one youma…"

Saturn took a couple steps forward, staring at the youma approaching, "He's strong. I would have had him, but he used some kind of technique that allowed him to avoid my attack."

"What kind of technique?" Mercury asked curiously.

The dark haired girl looked over to the senshi of water, "It seems as if he shed his skin and that took the force of my attack when he realized how dangerous it was." She explained before looking forward again.

"That could be troublesome." Neptune stated.

Saturn shook her head, "I don't think so. The impression I got was that he can't do it very often, so I don't think he'll be able to that again if he gets in the same situation." She said and continued to walk forward.

Uranus put her hand in front of Saturn effectively stopping her, "I think you should sit this one out. You're already injured…"

"All of you are injured as well…" She protested and looked at all the other senshi. "Besides, I can still fight…"

"Saturn…don't…" Venus interrupted. "None of us are in as bad a condition as you are, all of us can see you're favoring your right side." The senshi of love walked over to the younger girl and put her hand on her left shoulder, "I know you want to finish this, but you can't fight right now. We'll fight in your place. For the time being, join Tuxedo Kamen. I'm sure he can use a little more of your healing."

"But…"

"Don't make me remind you that I outrank you…" Venus started to say before being cut off.

"Alright." Saturn said quietly. After a few seconds she walked back to when Tuxedo Kamen sat on the ground.

Once Jupiter was sure the youngest senshi was out of ear-shot she leaned over to Venus, "Do you use that on everyone?" She asked remembering when Minako had used those very lines on her in the past. Venus looked at her for moment before giving her a wink and walking to the front of the group.

"Alright, let's take this youma down, to help Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars!" Venus announced.

* * *

Mars looked at her Princess for a moment, "She's going to try to direct most of her attacks at you, so be careful."

"I will." Moon answered quickly when she saw the woman had nearly reached them. She entered her fighting stance and watched the woman, she looked to be focused on her rather than Mars.

Just as Mars predicted, Kei went straight for Sailor Moon. The senshi of fire stood ready beside her Princess and as soon as she threw a punch at Moon, Mars caught her fist before it could get too close to the other girl. Mars smiled and quickly spun around, delivering a knee to her mid-section. Kei hunched over a bit and backed away from the two senshi a little.

"You're too predicable!" Mars yelled. She could see the other woman glaring at her, "As I've already said, you won't hurt her."

"We'll just see about that." Kei said and stood up fully once more. She reared her hand back as though she were going to throw a punch, but as she brought her hand forward she called…

"Stellar Flare!

Mars looked surprised as the attack was aimed at her, but she quickly materialized her bow and flaming arrow to her hand. She pointed the arrow at the ball of energy coming at her. She pulled the nearly invisible string back and released her attack.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

The fire arrow shot through the ball of energy, causing it to explode in bright flash of light. Mars and Moon covered their eyes as the light washed over them. 'Damn, I can't see anything…I can't fight like this.' Mars thought, pausing mid-thought. She closed her eyes and didn't think about not being able to see. Instead she focused on trying to sense what the woman was doing. She froze for a moment as she realized where Kei and Moon were.

Even though she couldn't see anything, Moon looked around in an effort to understand what was going on around her. She couldn't hear Mars fighting, so she wasn't entirely sure what was happening. If Mars wasn't fighting though that meant Kei was somewhere else as well…

"Hi, Princess…"

Moon's eyes widened as she heard the voice beside her ear. She looked to her left quickly and despite the low visibility she found herself face to face with Kei. Moon swung her arm wildly at the woman, but she only leaned out of the way. When she threw another punch, the woman blocked her.

"You have no fighting skill whatsoever…"

"I can barely even see you, how is that fair?" Moon asked.

"Humph…fair you say." She paused for a moment, "For me to fight you fair, I'd have to have both hands tied behind my back as well as have my legs bound. That would be a fair fight." She said and pushed Moon's hand away before grabbing the compact on her chest.

"Hey let that go!" Moon yelled and tried to pry her hand off one of her most precious possessions.

"Your power comes from that crystal. Without it and your senshi, you'd have died countless times by now."

Moon raised her hand into the air and slapped Kei's hand as hard as she could, finally making her release the object, "I know that already. Everyone protects me. If I were strong enough they wouldn't have to. I don't want to lose any of my precious friends anymore and if I have to get stronger to do that, I will."

"Humph…that's interesting… I don't see you getting stronger…" Kei said and raised her hand above her head. "…because you're going to die here!"

Suddenly another voice entered into the conversation, "Don't think I'll let you do that."

"And don't think I didn't already understand what you were going to do!" Kei yelled and spun around. Without even looking she reached out and grabbed Mars' throat. Mars gasped out in surprised and quickly grabbed the arm that had a hold of her with one of her hands. The light finally began to subside, allowing Moon to finally get a look at what just happened. She saw Kei lifting Mars off the ground slightly and rear back her free hand. As soon as she prepared to bring her hand forward, she felt a hand on her own. Kei looked the side and saw a gloved hand around her own.

"I won't let you hurt her either." Sailor Moon said as she held Kei's hand in place.

The dark haired woman smiled at the blonde in her own sinister way, "Well aren't the two of you a real pair? Unfortunately I don't think you really have any say in the matter…" She said and pulled her arm abruptly forward, causing Moon to stumble a little at the unexpected movement. She was caught off guard, so she unconsciously loosened her hold on Kei's hand, allowing her to pull it away. Before the Moon Princess could adjust herself and get the upper hand again, Kei grabbed her by the throat as well. "…Because you're in the same position as her." She said and tightened her hold on both girls causing both to gasp more frantically for their breath.

"Hey…" Mars called quietly, drawing Kei's full attention.

"Did you have something to say before I put you out of your misery?" Kei asked, smiling a little at the end.

"Yeah…" The senshi of fire replied just as quietly as before. After a couple shallow breaths she continued, "You…should…pay attention…to your…captives…" She said and pointed her hand at Kei's chest.

"Fire…Soul."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a ball of fire shot out of her hand and hit Kei solidly in the chest. She let go of both senshi once the attack made contact with her. Being at such close range the force of the attack was enough to drive the dark haired woman back close to ten feet before she hit the ground.

Mars looked over to her Princess, "A-Are you alright?"

Moon gave a quick nod of her head before coughing a little, "Y-Yeah…I'm okay."

Mars looked over to where Kei landed and watched her roll around on the ground in pain. While her fire attack wasn't deadly, it certainly looked painful. She glanced back over to Sailor Moon, "I told you that you should improve your hand to hand fighting ability." Saying it only half jokingly.

"It's a little late to be talking about that now though, isn't it?"

"Nah…but I can tell you've gotten better."

Kei stood up and glared at Mars, "You'll pay!" She yelled before running at her.

Mars charged forward to meet her without saying a word. Sailor Moon ran after her, but found herself staring at the other girl. She'd intercepted Kei, while to her it felt as though she'd barely even moved. She continued to run after Mars, but she couldn't help but watch her and that woman exchanged punches. Kei land a few clean shots, but Moon could see that overall it was Mars that landed more. The Moon Princess ended up staying back a little, not wanting to get in the way.

They continued to go back and forth, with neither relenting though, so Sailor Moon decided she needed to do something to give Mars a clear opportunity to land a decisive blow. She reached up to her tiara and removed the object. She watched and waited for the right moment. Her eyes widened and she tightened her grip on her tiara before calling out…

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Kei froze for a moment as she saw the golden disc flying at her head. She came to her senses after a couple seconds, and hastily ducked the object before it could do any damage. As soon she lifted her head though, she saw another attack coming at her head. Before she'd even recovered from the surprise of Moon's attack, one of Mars' high-heeled shoes coming straight at the side of her face. There was no avoiding this attack, she didn't have enough time. The kick landed cleanly and drove Kei to the ground. The fire senshi looked at the woman to be sure that she wasn't going to be moving unexpectedly. After a couple seconds Mars ran over to Sailor Moon.

"Thanks for the assist." Mars said once she reached her Princess.

Moon stood next her senshi and stared at her, "You've gotten faster."

"You think so?" Mars asked curiously.

She nodded her head, "I'm sure." She looked down before speaking again, "You probably could have beaten her on your own…"

The senshi of fire looked over to her love and shook her head, "I don't think so. Both my body and mind are tired, but just the fact that you are by me right now gives me strength. You're the reason I can fight her like I am. I can't let her do anything to you. I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to you."

Sailor Moon stared at the other girl and was about to say something when she heard a noise from where Kei was laying. Both girls turned toward her, just as she was beginning to get up again.

* * *

Ryuji cocked his head to side as he looked at the Sailor Senshi, "It's probably better this way anyway." He stretched his arms above his head before saying, "Why don't all of you come at me at once and we see how long you can last?"

"Sorry, but you don't make the rules here!" Venus called.

"We aren't here for your amusement…we're here to end your life." Uranus said

"Why don't you come at me and see what that girl and boy already learned?" Ryuji gloated.

"You're certainly one cocky bastard." Jupiter stated very matter-of-factly.

Neptune looked over to Mercury, who was typing her mini computer. "Do you see any weaknesses?"

The senshi of water shook her head, "Not yet, but I will."

"We'll keep him busy, while you do that." Venus said and walked closer to the youma. "Let's take this guy down a peg or two."

The senshi minus Mercury stepped forward to engage the large youma. Jupiter and Uranus both decided to test the youma in close combat, so both girls charged in and started by throwing several punches at him. A couple of their strikes connected, but they didn't seem to have much of an affect on him overall. The youma swung his arm at them and waved the two senshi away like they were some kind of bugs. Neptune and Venus tried their hand at attacking him, using their ranged attacks though.

"Deep Submerge!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

Ryuji looked at the attacks as they came toward him and summoned his weapon to his hand. He quickly sliced through Neptune's attack followed by Venus'. The large youma smiled as he looked at the Sailor Senshi, seeming pleased with himself.

"Do you mind if I go now?" Ryuji asked sarcastically. He held his weapon above his head for a moment as he looked over the girls, as though he were trying to decide which of them to attack.

"Ultimate Blast!"

Ryuji pointed his weapon at the two outer senshi and just like when he did it to Saturn; his sword began to glow before releasing a wave of red energy. The attack sailed toward the senshi seemingly without a way to stop it.

"Silence Wall!"

Uranus and Neptune looked to where the voice came from and saw Saturn standing with Tuxedo Kamen. She, as well as the Prince of Earth, seemed to be fairing better than before, and soon they were walking over to the other senshi.

"I thought you were done in, girl?"

Saturn heard the youma call over to her and addressed him immediately, "I won't let you hurt any of my friends or family."

Ryuji started to laugh, only to be punched in the face by Jupiter. Ryuji stumbled back a few steps and glared at the senshi of lightning. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Jupiter still had her fist clenched at her side as she said, "That's exactly my question to you! Wanting to protect someone isn't something to laugh at!" She moved to punch him again, but this time he was ready and blocked it with his large forearm.

"It is funny when you can't back up your words!" Ryuji said and swung his arm at the brunette in front of him. Before he could even get his arm going he felt something stop it. He looked to that side and saw a golden chair wrapped around his arm. He still tried to pull his arm, but it wouldn't budge so he dropped it to his side and looked back to the senshi of lightning. When he looked though, the girl was no longer in front of him. He looked around see where she went and saw all the Sailor Senshi were standing together at his left, except for Venus who stood on the opposite side holding her 'Love-me chain'.

"You're done." Jupiter said.

"We'll finish you with this attack." Venus explained.

Uranus looked over to Saturn and whispered, "You sure you're up for one more attack?"

"I think I can manage one more attack…I did heal myself a little after I healed the Prince while all of you were fighting." Saturn assured the other girl. Uranus nodded her head in response and both focused their attention of the youma.

"So, we're all attacking at once?" Neptune asked, looking over to Mercury.

The blue haired girl nodded her head, "Yeah. It might be a little overkill, but by my calculations it's impossible for him to survive if all of us attack at once."

"Is everyone ready?" Venus yelled from her position. After receiving a nod for the other girls, she gave the go-ahead in return.

Ryuji watched as the Sailor Senshi all prepared their respective attacks, "I guess all of you just expect me not to move while you do this…" His eyes widened as he felt the chain loosen around his arm, but only a moment later he feel the same chain wrap around his body, causing him to curse silently.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"World Shaking!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

All the senshi released their attacks simultaneously and virtually at the same time, they made contact with the youma. If he yelled as the attacks struck him, his screams were drowned out by the deafening sounds of the many attacks hitting him. Venus released the youma from the chain as soon as she was sure he wouldn't be able to avoid the attacks. The senshi of love ran over to her friends and watched as the attacks stopped, leaving a large cloud of dust in their wake. Once everything died down and cleared up enough for them to see, they saw there was nothing left of youma, only a gaping crater in the ground where he once stood.

* * *

"You don't stand a chance against us." Mars stated calmly as looked at the worn-out looking woman.

"What?"

"I said…you don't stand a chance against us." She repeated, louder than before, and relaxed her stance afterwards.

"What do you mean?" Kei asked angrily.

She sighed before answering, "I mean, as you are, you have no chance of beating us. I imagine it's been a long time since you've been in a real fight. Sailor Moon and I on the other hand have been in fights almost constantly for nearly three years now. You're not as battle-ready as you believed yourself to be. Do you understand where I'm going with this or do you need me to spell it out for you, more than I already have?"

"You don't have any idea what you're talking about!" Kei yelled.

Mars shrugged her shoulders, "Then perhaps we're just stronger than you. Perhaps you're effort to give me the strength to fight, weakened you more than you realized."

Kei's eyes widened remember giving some of her power to Mars and cursed inwardly, but refused to believe that was any reason for how they're fight had gone. "You've just been lucky thus far!" The dark haired woman yelled.

"You're blind then." She paused for a moment and looked over Sailor Moon, "Let's end this."

The Moon Princess nodded her head, "Alright."

"This only ends with both of you dead!" Kei yelled and charged the two senshi recklessly.

"Moon Gorgeous Meditation!"

"Fire Soul!"

Moon thrust her kaleidoscope forward, sending a wave of triangle shaped energy at the woman. At the same time, Mars pointed her hands at Kei as the flames left her hands. Both attacks collided with one another and rather than adversely affecting each other; they complimented on another…Mars' flames arched around Moon's attack. The combined attack sped toward Kei quickly and before she could even muster up a real defense, she was struck in the chest and propelled back several feet into the air. She collided with the ground roughly, rolling over a couple times before coming to a stop.

Mars stared at the woman lying on the ground; she didn't show any signs of movement as far as the solider of flame could tell. She took a few steps away from Sailor Moon to inspect the woman closer. She needed to be sure…she needed to know this woman wouldn't cause anymore pain. She stopped only about a foot away, she could tell Moon was getting closer, but she didn't turn and acknowledge her. Mars' eyes were focused on someone else, 'She's not dead.' Her hands clenched tightly at her sides as she stared down at the woman. Without any hesitation Mars held her hand over Kei's body with anger burning in her eyes.

"No, stop."

Mars heard someone say something behind her, but she had no intention of stopping. She was going to end this. 'This woman has hurt enough people and she needs to pay for her crimes.' She thought. Mars could feel the flames starting to form in her hand when she felt someone wrap their arms her around her waist from behind. She turned her hate-filled amethyst eyes to see the culprit and met a pair of wet crystal blue eyes.

"Please, stop."

Mars opened her mouth to counter Moon's plea for mercy, but quickly closed it. She could see in Moon's eyes an emotion she had seen one other time when she looked into the other girl's eyes, fear. She closed her eyes tightly; she couldn't look at the other girl's eyes any longer. Mars used all her will-power to control her anger and force the flames to leave her hand. She fell to her knees, bringing Moon with her. Mars could feel the other girl press against her back and rest her chin on her left shoulder.

"It's over."

She could hear the other girl whisper into her ear. 'How can she think that? There was still life in that woman's body.' She tried to understand, but she just couldn't. When she saw Kei still breathing, she knew why. Her Princess was too kind and that woman didn't deserve it. "Why did you hold back?"

The senshi of fire didn't receive an answer immediately, though she did feel the other girl tighten her hold around her waist. After a short time of remaining like that she finally got her answer, "Setsuna told me her story. She wasn't always bad. And even if you disregard that, she's still a person. It's not the same as if she were a youma. You can't kill her, Rei."

"Despite everything she's done?" Mars asked, sounding defeated.

The darker haired girl could feel her nod her head before she answered, "Yes. Despite everything she's done."

"I already know about her past." Mars said quietly, before turning a bit in an effort to look at her Princess face to face. The other girl's grip on her loosened enough for her to completely turn around. She looked at Moon, "It doesn't excuse all that she's done. She can't go unpunished!"

Sailor Moon finally released the darker haired girl, only to cup the other girl's cheeks with her hands, "I hate how much you've been hurt…I hate how much  _she_  hurt you, but you know I'm right. I  _know_  you that you know I'm right. You have every right to be angry and you don't have to forgive her, I wouldn't ask you to. I simply want to see with eyes that are not clouded by that anger. Don't let your yourself be ruled by your anger."

Mars closed her eyes, allowing a few stray tears to escape her eyes. She could feel her love wipe away the wetness without a word, 'How can she be so compassionate? If given the opportunity again, that woman, Kei, would try to kill her again, but that was the furthest thing from her mind.' Mars opened her eyes again and looked straight into her companion's, "How? How can you forgive her?"

"I wouldn't say I forgive her exactly…she hurt you too much for me to simply forgive and forget. However, killing her won't accomplish anything. I don't intend to allow her to walk away unpunished either though." Sailor Moon said and stroked the dark haired girl's cheeks with her thumbs.

"If you don't wish to kill her, what do you intend to do?"

Both girls jumped slightly and quickly turned their heads to see Saturn coming toward them. The young girl was being help by Uranus and Neptune. Following closely behind them, were the three inner senshi. Even further behind them, Tuxedo Kamen walked over gingerly. Soon Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury stood beside the three outer soldiers, but the Prince of Earth still remained to the back slightly.

Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon stood up together, as they stood fully Moon held a firm grip on the other girl's arm. They took a couple steps toward their friends, while they closed the rest of the distance between them. They stared at each other for a few seconds before saying anything. Moon nudged Mars in her side, urging her to say something.

Mars looked over everyone and smiled, "Hi everyone." She said simply. It sounded cheap as soon she heard herself say it, but she didn't know what else to say.

"It's good to see you back Rei." Jupiter said

Mars smiled even wider, "It's good to  _be_  back."

"You're really back?" Venus asked, sounding as though she didn't believe what she was seeing.

The senshi of fire looked right at Venus and nodded her head, "I am."

"Thank goodness!" The blond said and hugged Mars, causing Moon to let go of her senshi. The senshi of love's actions were quickly followed by the two other inner senshi, Mercury and Jupiter.

Moon stepped back a couple paces and watched her friends reunite with Rei. Her eyes traveled over to the outer senshi who were watching on silently, but each of them wore smiles and that said more than words could. Her eyes then fell on to the only member of their group to have not said anything, Mamoru. She looked at him sadly and started to open her mouth to say something, but before she could speak another beat her to the punch, drawing her attention to them.

"Thank you!  _Everyone_." Mars said and let her eyes scan over the entire group. Rei had some how separated herself from her friends and she was currently smiling at the group with as much gusto as she could muster.

"You don't have to thank us Rei. We're just glad to finally have you back." Venus said with a large smile.

Mercury nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah, you'd have done the same for any of us."

"Besides, Usagi's the one who had to do all the work to get you back." Jupiter stated.

Mars looked over to Sailor Moon, who was looking at the ground intently, but a blush was evident on her cheeks. "Yeah, I know." The raven haired girl couldn't help but smile as she looked at the other girl.

"So, that's the woman that caused all of this?" Uranus asked as she stepped even with Mars.

Mars turned around and looked where the senshi of wind was staring, "Yeah." She answered quietly. She could hear someone run up to her from behind, but she didn't have to look to see who it was. She felt the person hug her right arm. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Uranus' expression change from serious to amused. "You don't have to worry. I'm not going to do anything." Mars said quietly, but even as she said it, she could feel the desire to finish the woman off was still there.

"I know…I just don't want you to look at her without my support." Moon explained, looking down the whole time.

The fire senshi knew she wasn't being entirely truthful, she was still afraid that she was going to do something. 'It's not without merit.' She told herself. She could still feel the yearning in her, but her love's touch was more than enough to quench that desire and she was glad for that. Now all she had to do was make sure she never let her go. As if Moon heard her wish, she tightened her hold on her arm. Mars leaned her head to the side and rested her cheek against Moon's hair near her ear, "Thank you." She whispered, almost inaudibly. She only received a slight nod in response.

Sailor Moon's actions, though small, raised quite a few eye brows among their group. It was Mars' actions a short time after the other girl took a hold of her arm though, that spoke even louder. For two in the group, it was far less surprising than it was painful.

Mercury and Jupiter looked at each for a moment seeing if the other had the same idea. When it was clear they did, they both looked to Venus for confirmation. The senshi of love could feel she was being stared at, so she turned to her fellow Guardian senshi. Jupiter looked at Moon and Mars and pointed her forefinger and index finger at them before looking back to Venus and crossing those fingers. The blonde simply nodded her in reply. The exchange between the three girls didn't go unnoticed by the outer senshi and if Venus' boasts about being the Goddess of Love are to be believed, Rei and Usagi are more than _just_  friends.

Mamoru remained silent; he didn't need Venus to confirm what he already knew…he knew it for a long time. They weren't making it ridiculously obvious, but their embrace was intimate enough to draw all of the girls' attention. He hadn't expect it to all come out like this, but in truth, he wasn't really sure how he thought it was all going to turn out.

"Is this how you wanted them to find out?" Mars whispered.

"There's no reason to hide it from them." She replied quietly.

The senshi of fire had to take a deep breath before asking her next question, "Is it how you wanted Mamoru-san to find out?" She could feel Moon's grip on her arm falter for a moment, but only for a moment. Afterwards, she held Mars' arm even tighter.

"I decided that I would follow my heart…wherever that leads me." The Moon Princess said and tilted her head up, causing Mars to pull back a bit. Both girls looked into each other's eyes for a short time before Moon spoke again, "It lead me to you."

Mars could feel a smile spread across her lips as she leaned closer to her Princess again. For a moment she thought of kissing the girl on her lips, but thought better of it, at least for the time being. Instead, she kissed her forehead, near the center of her tiara. She pulled back once more and said, "I love you so much."

Sailor Moon smiled brightly, "I love you too." Afterward both girls finally turned back toward the rest of the group. No one really said anything and if anything, it was a bit awkward. Moon and Mars didn't confirm anything; this wasn't the place to discuss it especially since Usagi had yet to speak to Mamoru. Moon had released the other girl's arm when they turned around, but she still stood close to her.

Meanwhile, a couple of them in the group noticed there was one among them that wasn't any where to be seen. "Hey guys, where's Pluto?" Jupiter asked, completely changing the atmosphere.

Sailor Moon noticeably stiffened at the question. The senshi of lightning stared at the Moon Princess questioningly. Soon her vision drifted over to Mars, the dark hair senshi simply shook her head slowly in response. Jupiter soon looked over to the outer senshi for some kind of answer, they reacted similar to Mars. Without any word the brunette's questioned was answered, Pluto was gone. The group shared an impromptu moment of silence as the reality of what happened fell on those who were unaware. The silence was broken by the groaning of someone. Everyone's eyes turned to the woman they believed to be unconscious.

"I think she's waking up." Neptune stated.

"Whatever you had planned, I think now would be a good time to do it." Saturn suggested quickly.

"I'll seal her away as my mother did, with the Ginzuishou." Sailor Moon said and took a hold of her compact.

Mars stared at her as though she'd completely lost her mind, "I don't like you doing this. I know what using that thing can do."

Sailor Moon looked over to Mars, "This is the only way to go about this. I don't have to use the Ginzuishou at full power, so this  _will not_  kill me."

"I don't like you taking that risk. The last time you used the crystal it nearly  _did_  kill you." Mars argued.

"I've grown more experienced since then, so there's no need to worry. I promise that I'll be fine. Just…please trust me." The Moon Princess pleaded.

The dark haired girl closed her eyes tightly for a moment, "Of course, I trust you. But…"

Moon released her compact and brought that hand up to her senshi's cheek, "Then believe me when I say I have no intention of leaving you now that I finally have you back."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but…." Kei and sat up slowly. "I'm not done yet." She said and pointed her hand toward Sailor Moon.

"Don't move." All the senshi minus Moon said in unison, almost instantly after she raised her hand at the Moon Princess.

Kei looked around; it seemed that all of the sailor senshi had survived. That also meant that Ryuji was dead and her plan had failed, just as Pluto said it had. All the senshi minus the Princess had an attack ready, if she tried anything, she was dead. There was only one thing left to do…Kei threw her hands up into the air mockingly and laughed, "I give up."

None of the girls backed off though, they still had their attack on the woman if she still tried to do anything. "Do it now. I can't promise I won't kill her if she threatens you again." Mars said seriously, as her gaze remained focused on Kei.

Moon nodded and called forth the Ginzuishou from her compact. Once the crystal emerged, Usagi's appearance changed into that of the Moon Princess. The Crystal floated down to her hands and she closed her eyes. She focused on her wish to seal away the woman responsible for so much pain, just as her mother did so many years ago. After a few moments, a light shot out of the crystal in her hands and hit Kei. She didn't say anything as she was hit by the light, but seconds later the light surrounded her. With its job done, the crystal returned to its rightful place in Usagi's compact and when it did, she returned to being Sailor Moon. The blond sat down and sighed, she was tired from using the crystal, but it wasn't as bad as she expected.

Kei cursed her fate silently, she'd felt the same thing she was feeling currently once before. After a moment, a smile appeared on her features, there was one more thing to do before being sent back to that place. Her eyes became fixated on Mars as she said, "Once you've been infected with the energy of Chaos, you can never fully purge it from your body. There will always be a part of you that thirsts for bloodshed and wishes to cause destruction. That is my parting gift to you."

Mars stared at the woman, her fate was sealed and she was still spewing garbage. She'd almost pity the woman if she wasn't such a monster, "You're a fool. I have a pillar of light that will never allow me to fall into darkness again."

Kei sneered at the other girl, "You really think it's that easy?" She asked before starting to laugh. At the same moment she began laughing, she started to disappear. If she realized what was happening, she showed no sign of it, if anything her laughter became more hysterical.

The senshi of fire stared at the woman in disgust. With her last words  _that_  was all she could say. Her intention was to never see that woman again after this moment, but if she were to free herself somehow and if they should ever cross paths again, she resolved to not allow her to get off so easily. Only a few moments later, the laughter had ceased and the cause of it had completely disappeared, having been magically transported to the cold moon of Pluto.

"I think it's about time we went back home. Kei used some sort of dark magic to allow this place to be livable and with her gone…" Mars stated. The words had barely left her lips when nearly everyone in the group began to feel the truth in her words. Several of them started to cough and found it difficult to catch their breath.

Sailor Moon got up at looked at everyone with concern, "What's wrong with everyone?"

The Moon Princess' immediate response was several more coughs from her friends.

Mercury was typing on her mini super-computer furiously before shutting it and looked at everyone, "We're running out of oxygen…fast!"

"We have to… _cough_ …teleport out of here." Venus said and motioned for everyone to take someone's hand and form a circle. Everyone, even Tuxedo Kamen, quickly did as instructed and held hands with the person closest to them, until they formed a complete circle. After a few moments of concentration, all of the girls' planetary symbols began to glow on their foreheads.

"Sailor Teleport!"

All the girls said the command in unison and a second later they were transported off the Moon. As soon as they touched the ground, Sailor Moon could feel Mars' grip on her hand loosen. She looked over to the dark haired girl questioningly, her eyes widened at what she saw. Rei's eyes were closed and she was no longer in her transformed state. Scariest of all, she seemed to be falling forward towards the ground. Moon quickly let go of Hotaru's hand and caught the falling girl in her arms. "Rei! Rei!"

End Ch. 33

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is incredibly long. As the chapter's title suggests, this ends all the battles/fights. There is really a lot I could say about this chapter, but I think I'll let it speak for itself.


	34. New Beginnings

Chapter 34 – New Beginnings

* * *

As soon as they touched the ground, Sailor Moon could feel Mars' grip on her hand loosen. She looked over to the dark haired girl questioningly, her eyes widened at what she saw. Rei's eyes were closed and she was no longer in her transformed state. Scariest of all, she seemed to be falling forward towards the ground. Moon quickly let go of Hotaru's hand and caught the falling girl in her arms. "Rei! Rei!" Sailor Moon called as she slowly brought the other girl the ground. When she was on her knees she too undid her transformation. She rested the other girl's head on her lap and brushed the strands of hair away from her face. She could feel tears well up in her eyes as she asked, "Ami, what's wrong with her?"

The blue hair girl already had her mini supercomputer out and was typing on it as quickly as she could. After a few moments, the device disappeared from her hands and she sighed. "She's just exhausted, Usagi."

"Can't you do anything for her Hotaru?"

The young girl smiled, "She's not injured, not seriously at least. She just needs to rest and I can't heal tiredness." She said, laughing a bit at the end.

"She's not supposed to fall asleep. We still have a lot to talk about." Usagi said, though she sounded much more at ease than a few moments ago. She looked down at the resting girl and she couldn't help but smile. She looked so peaceful, but that wasn't entirely why the Moon Princess was smiling. Rei was back! On top of that, things were going to very different when she woke up. With their actions on the moon nothing could ever be the same. Usagi had no intention of taking back anything she said, she spoke from her heart and she couldn't be happier with the result of her confession. Of course, that still left Mamoru….but there would be another day to talk with him. He'd already seen and heard everything they said to each other and even at that time he didn't seem shocked. Usagi's thoughts were solely on one person and that person was sleeping in her lap.

"It's understandable that she'd be tired. She's been through a lot." Makoto added.

Usagi nodded her head slowly. Rei told her herself that she was tired, so it's no surprise that she'd finally give in with no more fighting left. The blonde teen, stroked the other girl's dark tresses silently until she felt Rei snuggle closer to her. She looked her over for a moment and noticed she was once again the state she was in prior to transforming, naked. Not only that, but she was noticeably shivering. She was only wearing a light denim jacket, so her eyes were drawn to the others in her group. Her eyes settled on one among them who was wearing a long tan coat, "Haruka, is it okay if Rei barrows your jacket?"

The tall blonde looked a little surprised at the sudden question, but one look at the girl cuddled up against Usagi answered her question. Haruka wordlessly removed her jacket and draped it over Rei's shoulders. Usagi could feel the dark haired girl responded quickly to the warmth offered by the coat, because she'd clearly stopped shaking, much to her relief; she didn't want Rei to catch a cold.

"So…what do we do now?"

"What do you mean, Mako-chan?"

"Well, it's getting late and we can't very well drop off Rei on the steps of the jinja." She explained.

"Of course not, Rei'll come home with me." Usagi stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, though to her it was and after all that had transpired it should have been to all of them as well. "What time is it?" Usagi asked as she looked up at her friends.

Ami looked at the watch around her wrist before answering, "Nearly two."

Usagi nodded her head in acknowledgment before saying, "All of us should probably make our way home then, before it gets too much later. Tomorrow's not a school day, but all of us should still get some rest. Today was a very long day."

It  _had_  been a long night and the longer they stayed in the park; the more likely they'd draw the attention of someone. "Usagi's right, we should call it a night." Minako said after being unusually quiet since they'd gotten back.

The other girls nodded. Makoto leaned next to Ami and seemed to whisper something to her causing the blue haired girl to nod. A couple seconds later Ami turned her attention to the Moon Princess. "We'll see you later, Usagi." Ami said as she stood next to Makoto.

Usagi smiled and nodded her head quickly, "Yep, tomorrow!" she said and watched both Makoto and Ami walk off together. A thought popped into her mind as she watched the two girls walk away…she'd have to ask them about it. She turned away from them with that thought on her mind, but first she'd had a different question to ask someone else. Usagi looked up at Haruka, drawing her attention, "What is it, Usagi?"

"I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind taking Rei and me to my house?" Usagi asked.

"You ask that as though it would be some kind of trouble, it isn't. Right girls?" Haruka said and looked at the two girls beside her.

"Absolutely, we couldn't just leave you without a means to get home." Michiru responded.

"It's no problem Usagi-san." Hotaru said with a smile.

The Princess of the Moon smiled gratefully, "Thank you." She said and was about to make a move to get up, but remembered the sleeping miko in her lap. One more time, Usagi looked up at the guardians of the outer planets apologetically.

"Don't worry, I've got her." Haruka said before the blonde could voice her request. She crouched down and picked Rei up carefully, so as not to wake her. She barely even made a sound, expect for when she pulled away from Usagi, but otherwise she continued to sleep.

Usagi got up and stood beside Haruka, looking at Rei for a moment before looking around. Minako was looking in her direction, but wasn't saying anything. After a moment, she realized Usagi was looking at her, so she smiled and waved good-bye. Usagi waved back, "See you tomorrow."

Minako nodded, "Yeah." After wards, she still continued to stand there but was no longer looking in her direction; instead she was looking where Makoto and Ami had gone.

The goddess of love was acting a bit strangely, but Usagi let her be because it seemed that was what she wanted. Eventually her scan of the area continued again, this time her gaze fell on Mamoru. She stared at him before taking a deep breath and turning back to Haruka and the other outers, "I need to do something real quick, so would everyone be able go to the car before me?"

"S-Sure, see you in a few." Michiru spoke for the group and together they began to walk away.

Usagi nodded and looked back to Mamoru. She shut her eyes for a moment before making her over to him. It only took him a few seconds to notice that someone was approaching and for him to notice exactly who that someone was. He didn't say anything, but once she was within earshot Usagi spoke.

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, I think we need to…"

Usagi looked at the ground and found herself shuffling her feet nervously. What did she have to nervous about? She'd already decided in her heart what to do…so what was the problem? The more she thought about it, she released the answer, he was going to hurt him. She'd never knowingly hurt anyone, like how she was preparing to hurt Mamoru.

"Usa-ko…"

"Mamoru, I do want to talk, but right now isn't the time. I-I'd like to meet you some place tomorrow."

The dark haired man let a small smile break past his stoic expression, "Sure, if that's what you want." He replied calmly.

Usagi nodded slowly, but otherwise remained expressionless. "I'll give you a call later." She said.

"Alright." He said simply.

She nodded and started to walk away from him. She was grateful he didn't say anything that would prolong their awkward exchange. Usagi walked in the direction she remembered her friend park her car earlier. In retrospective it might have been better to have finished everything tonight, but after everything that happened she wasn't sure she had the strength to say everything she wanted to say at the moment. It was better to have good night's rest first. Soon she found her destination visible. She was a little curious to see someone standing by the car waiting for her.

"I'm glad you're here." Haruka stated sounding almost relieved to Usagi's ears.

"What do you…?" Usagi started to ask when the tall blonde opened to the door to the backseat for the girl. As soon as she opened she could hear soft crying of someone inside. She quickly got inside and took Rei in her arms, "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, "She's been like that since Haruka-san put her in the car." Hotaru explained and watched as Usagi cradled the girl against her chest. The blonde leaned close to her ear and whispered something only Rei could hear, which seemed to calm the girl quite a bit, "I don't think she likes being separated too far from you." The Moon Princess didn't say anything in response; her focus remained on the girl she was currently holding.

"It seems all she really wanted was you." Haruka said as she took her seat behind the wheel. She turned the car on and said, "I guess we can be on our way now then."

* * *

"You're…okay with this?"

Mamoru jumped slightly at the question, he hadn't even paid enough attention to notice he wasn't the only one there. He looked over his shoulder to the self proclaimed goddess of love. "You know what I'm talking about don't you?"

"Yes." He answered and turned around to face the girl fully.

"Then?"

"Let me ask you something first." He said and took a couple steps closer to the blond haired girl, "Why do you want to know?"

"Honestly…" Minako was quiet for a time afterwards, but eventually she took deep breath and said, "I'd prefer that you don't do anything that can break up what they can have."

Mamoru ran his hand through his hair, "I guess that's about as straight forward as you can get."

He looked to the ground after his statement and unless her ears were deceiving Minako, it sounded almost sounded as if he laughed a bit at the end. "So, what's your answer?"

"Since you were honest with me, it's only right that I return the favor." The dark haired man sighed and looked at Minako, "If you're asking whether I've accepted it, then yes. Her heart hasn't been mine for some time now. It would be wrong of me to try to deny it now." He said and afterwards looked off into the direction Usagi left, just a short time ago.

Minako observed him quietly as she thought over what he'd just said. The more she thought about it, something he'd just said didn't really make a whole lot of sense, "If you seemingly realized that awhile ago, why not say anything to Usagi? As far as I'm aware you haven't done anything like that."

"I'm afraid anything I would have told her…she wouldn't have accepted it. If she could come to the realization on her own though…" He trailed off, allowing Minako to fill in the blanks. It was clear enough where his thoughts were taking him. Minako remained silent as it seemed he was going to continue. "I've always tired to do the right thing by her, but too many times everything turned out all wrong. Back when I had those dreams, I pushed her away…I wasn't right. When I felt her heart become divided, I abandoned her…I wasn't right at that time either. Now I'm going to take a step back and give her the choice of what path to take. I'm not going to force her down a path that's not of her choosing…if that makes any sense." Mamoru stated and rubbed the back of his neck.

His answers were honest as far as she could tell, but that still left one other thing that could pose a problem, "And what about your feelings?"

Mamoru looked surprised to hear that question. It took him a few moments to collect himself once more; when he did he looked over to the blonde haired girl and said, "Of course, I still love her." He said and looked away from the girl's serious gaze, "How could I not?" he added quietly.

Minako smiled, somewhat sadly as she said, "Usagi's certainly one lucky girl." She could see the Prince of Earth look at her strangely and when seemed like he was going to say something, she quickly spoke before he could, "That's very gallant of you to step aside like you are even though you still love her. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to be hurt in the process."

"That's kind of you to say, but I don't think I would have been able to look at myself in the mirror if I selfishly kept her in a relationship when she loved someone else."

"But still…"

Mamoru cut her off before she could say anything further, "I'm not looking for praise or pity or anything else. I simply want Usagi to be happy, that's all I want. So please, just leave it at that." He said and turned away from Minako.

"That's not it!" She said quickly, prompting the dark haired man to stop. When he looked back to her, she continued, "It's true my main concern is Usagi and Rei, but I understand. I understand your perspective as well. I meant no disrespect."

Mamoru lowered his head, "No, I'm sorry. I think I just need some rest."

Minako nodded slowly. It had certainly been a long day and while it ended on a high note, it was also the culmination of a number of bad events. "Yes, it'd probably be best to go home." She conceded and turned toward the park's exit. "See you around." She said before walking off.

The Prince of Earth continued to stand in the same spot as Minako made her way out of the park. He looked up at the nearly cloudless night sky. He raised arm upwards in the direction of the moon and stretched out further before closing his hand around the full moon. After a moment he opened his fist and lowered his arm, but his eyes remained fixed on sky, "She's forever out of my reach now too." He said quietly before lowering his head and proceeded to walk to his car.

* * *

Hotaru looked across to the two girls in the backseat with her. Rei was still out cold, but it had probably been forever since her last truly restful slumber. She couldn't help but smile as Rei pressed closer to Usagi. The Moon Princess leaned against the door, while Rei rested virtually on top of the other girl. Usagi had her arms wrapped around the darker haired girl's waist possessively, while Rei's head rested on Usagi's shoulder. It looked as though the blonde had fallen asleep herself because her eyes were closed and her head rested against the window behind her.

"I'm happy everything worked out for you, Usagi-san." Hotaru said quietly. The dark haired girl was surprised to see her yawn just after her statement.

Usagi opened her eyes and looked over to the younger girl, "Thank you Hotaru-chan and not just for that, for everything you did."

The pale girl noticeably blushed even in dark car, "I thought you were asleep."

She smiled in response and added, "I did doze off for a bit there, but I can't really fall asleep here. Despite, what you may have heard I can't just fall asleep anywhere." She looked forward and saw Haruka turning down her block and smiled before turning back to Hotaru, "And besides that, I knew it wouldn't take very long for Haruka to reach my house." She could feel the car come to a stop just as she finished her sentence.

"We're here, Usagi." Haruka called from the driver's seat.

Usagi carefully repositioned herself so that she was no longer leaning against the car door; instead she was against the car seat. She moved Rei with her, so the girl was no longer laying on her. Now she lay mostly beside her, though she still leaned against her. She looked to her left when she heard the door open and smiled her thanks to Haruka. She slipped out of the car and stretched, she hadn't been in the most comfortable position through the drive but it didn't bother her too much because Rei was comfortable. Usagi made a move back toward the backseat, but Haruka blocked her with her arm.

"Don't worry, I've got her." She said and leaned into the car and carefully removed the sleeping miko.

Usagi watched Haruka for a moment, but soon turned to her house, knowing Rei was in capable hands. She walked closer to the building and looked up at her window. It was probably a better idea for the outer senshi to carry Rei up to her room; she'd already had practice doing just that.

Haruka walked up to Usagi, with the dark haired girl in her arms and look up to the same window her Princess currently was, "We did this not long ago didn't we?"

Usagi smiled, "Yeah, but this time Rei isn't going anywhere when she wakes up, even if I have to tie her down to my bed."

The taller girl raised an eyebrow and stared at the younger girl curiously. As the silence dragged on, Usagi finally looked over to the tall blonde. The teen's cheeks turned a light pink and she looked away from the other girl. "Hentai, it's not like that…"

"Of reaallly….so that display you and her put on up there, was all for show?" Haruka asked, causing the other girl to turn a brighter shade of red.

"I thought you were busy fighting youma…"

"I had to keep an eye on you in case something happened." The taller girl said matter-of-factly. She glanced down at Usagi, who was looking down, apparently embarrassed by her previous comment. The taller girl looked forward once more before saying, "Of course from what I saw, it looked like Rei was doing a good job of keeping you safe all by herself."

A smile spread across her lips, "She was really amazing up there."

The taller girl smiled as well, but her smile was more of a result of the grin Usagi wore. "Alright kitten, lead the way."

Usagi shook her head, "R-Right…" She said and started toward the tree next to her house. She expertly climbed the tree to reach her window. She quickly pushed the window open and jumped inside.

Haruka chuckled a little at the teen, 'She's not as clumsy as she acts sometimes.' She thought and followed a similar path as Usagi and in a matter of seconds she was making her way through the opened window. She gently placed the resting girl onto the bed beside where she just entered. The taller girl turned away from Rei and faced the other girl, "Do you need any help?"

Usagi shook her head and walked past her friend, over to her bed. She knelt on the floor next the bed, her eyes focused on the girl lying there, "I should be fine." She leaned forward and tucked a bit of stray hair that covered Rei's face.

Haruka stepped up behind the Moon Princess and put her hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry. She'll be up and be her usually fiery self after a little rest."

Usagi looked up and saw Haruka standing over her. After they made eye contact, she turned back to Rei, "It's not that…I believe Ami."

"Then what is it?" She asked and walked over to the corner of the bed before sitting down.

The kneeling girl could feel the other girl's eyes on her, waiting patiently for her answer. She rested her elbows on her bed and stared at the sleeping girl there. She smiled at the content expression on the girl's face and began to stroke her hair with her right hand. She continued the same actions as she spoke again, "We didn't actually come out and say anything, but you told me yourself, you know what happened between Rei and I up there." She stopped her musingsand looked over to Haruka, "You aren't upset that I may have destroyed the future we've worked so hard to protect, are you?"

Haruka looked at the other girl for a moment before shifting her gaze to the ground and sighing, "Usagi, who you wish to spend your life with, is your decision and yours alone. If you love Rei and she loves you, you should go for it. I don't know what the future holds, but if she's the one you want to be with you should be with her." The senshi of wind looked back to Usagi as she added, "It's true we've fought for the existence of the Crystal Tokyo, for your union with the Prince, and for that peaceful future. It's also true that if you are with Rei that that future will likely cease to be. However, who's to say what kind of future awaits us in its place. It might end up being something that's worth fighting for  _even more_."

The Moon Princess' eyes widened, ' _Something that's worth fighting for even more_ …' It was true; she and Rei could create an even better world. There were no limits to their future and their future has only just begun. Usagi bowed her head, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Haruka asked.

"For doubting you." She answered quietly.

Haruka stood up and walked to the bedroom's widow which she entered through only a short time ago. "Our past actions give you reason to."

"But…"

"Don't worry about it." She said quickly, cutting off the other girl. Haruka put one foot on the window's ledge, "Anyways, I should be off. Michi and Hotaru are waiting in the car after all." Just as she started to lean out the window to leave, she looked back at Usagi once more, "You might want to get her into a proper set of clothes, she can't be very warm wearing only jacket."

Usagi watched the other girl leap through the window after that state, still a bit surprised by her sudden departure. It wasn't long before her eyes were once again drawn to the girl on her bed, what Haruka said was true, she couldn't exactly allow the girl to sleep in only a jacket. She went over to her dresser and opened to second drawer from the top. After a little looking she pulled out one of her looser fitting t-shirts before shutting that drawer and opening the one just below it. She rummaged through the different pants before finding some pajama bottoms she rarely wore. She shut the third drawer now and turned around to face Rei bowing her head slightly, "I'm sorry to do this again without your permission, but it's really for your sake." She said even though she realized the other would likely not even remember her saying anything. Usagi stepped over to her bed and took a deep breath, "This will take a few, Rei."

* * *

Haruka slipped into the driver's seat and turned the keys to start the car. She glanced in to the backseat and saw Hotaru was stretched out across the seat. The young girl must have fallen asleep some time after she left the car to help Usagi. She smiled apologetically at the girl in the passenger seat, "Sorry for the wait."

"Is everything alright?" Michiru asked curiously.

The blonde checked her mirrors for any oncoming cars as she answered, "Yeah. I asked Usagi if she wanted any help, but she declined."

"What took so long then?"

Haruka looked over to her companion in the passenger seat before putting the car into gear and driving away from the curb. "It was Usagi actually. She needed to hear something."

Michiru tilted her head to the side in thought, "Oh, and what was that?"

"She essentially wanted to know that we aren't mad at her for wanting to be with Rei." She explained.

Michiru shook her head slowly, "That's our Princess for you, always worrying about other people's feelings before her own. Obviously this changes some things, but I don't believe any of us would sacrifice our Princess' happiness for anything."

"Exactly, but as you said, she concerns herself with our feelings over her own. She just needed to be told to do what she desires and worry about anything else later. Throw caution to the wind, so to speak." Haruka said, finishing with a smile on her face.

"Of course there's the Prince…and…"

"I know she's very much aware of that. The Prince…he was there and despite that he didn't offer any indication of what his feeling were. However, he didn't seem very surprised and that's very telling." Haruka said and paused for a moment before continuing, "As for Chibi-Usa…I don't know. I'm sure she's already crossed her mind, but what ever happens it'll be Usagi's decision."

"True and if we know Usagi, she'll come up with something."

* * *

The early morning rays of sunlight snuck past the drawn curtains and soon made their warming touch felt by two sleepy teenagers. The one with dark hair lay on her back in the bed with covers covering most her expect her chest up. The other girl rested on her side, facing the other girl, with her body half on the bed, half on the futon pushed against it. The blonde's arm lay across the other girl on what was likely her stomach, though it was hidden beneath the blanket.

The dark haired girl's eyes scrunched up, disapprovingly, as the light reached them. She reached her left arm up lazily and covered her eyes, in hopes of blocking bright sun. She only succeeded partially. She groaned and turned her head away from the light, to her right but her nose made contact with something. One eye fluttered open to investigate, as soon as saw what it was she'd made contact with her other eye opened. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her, she was nose to nose with Usagi. While the blonde wasn't an unpleasant sight, she was a surprising one.

Her mind tried to wrap around the events after they arrived back on Earth but she came up blank. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought about the last thing she remembered. Her eyes opened after a couple seconds, the realization of what occurred dawning on her. She could remember teleporting back, but she could barely even recall making it back, everything kind of went black at that point which could mean only one thing…she passed out. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, 'I probably scared everyone half to death.' She thought sighing once more. After looking upwards for a little longer, she turned her head toward the blonde beside her.

With the initial shock having worn off, Rei found herself staring at the other girl. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again. 'She's still here. This isn't some kind of dream.' She told herself. Usagi was sleeping peacefully and she was resting so close that Rei could feel her soft breathing against her face. The dark haired girl could feel a smile spread across her lips and her heart swell with joy, as she finally let the reality of everything sink in. She brought her free hand towards Usagi, but stopped just short of touching the girl.

Rei was unsure of what exactly to do; her princess was sleeping so soundly it felt like it would be a sin to disturb the girl yet she couldn't deny her desire to do just that. She wanted to see her beautiful eyes staring back at her, but that would mean waking the girl. What a dilemma. As she watched Usagi, she noticed a bit of hair fell into her princess' face and obscured a portion of it from her view. She frowned at the defiant hair and brushed it back but continued to run her hand through the long blonde hair. She marveled at exactly how long it was, as she let the golden tresses slip from her fingers. She seemed to have forgotten its length when it wasn't contained by her 'odangos'. 'I have to get Usagi to wear her hair down sometimes.' She thought as she continued to play with her love's hair.

A wide smile found its way onto her lips, which she was distantly aware of but she'd waited forever to show any kind of affection towards her princess. She was so entranced by the feel of Usagi's hair that she didn't notice the girl had begun to stir.

Usagi's eyes tightened slightly and she adjusted her arm that lay across Rei, so it rested a little higher than where it was before. She inched closer to the girl beside her and when she did she could hear what sounded like soft laughter. She could also feel that the rhythm at which her chest would rise and fall was slightly different. She cracked up on eye and looked at the other girl. Immediately she could see that Rei wasn't asleep any longer, but she did have a smile on her face as she looked at her, though she wasn't looking at her face. That meant she didn't know she'd woken up, but that would last long as she opened her eyes and yelled, "Rei! You're awake." Usagi lunged forward before the dark hair girl could respond.

Rei looked surprised at the sudden voice and tried to say something but only managed a muffled form of some word could be made out as Usagi smothered her against her chest. She tapped the blonde on her shoulder as the girl held her tighter prompting the other girl to loosen her hold and allowed Rei to pull away a little. Rei gasped for her first breaths before staring at the blonde, "Are you trying to suffocate me?"

Usagi laughed at her suggestion, "Sorry, I got a little excited there."

Rei looked up at the ceiling sighed audibly, "Jeez…at least try to think…" She started to say but found herself trailing off when she felt her Princess' eyes so focused on her. She looked over the girl and blushed when she saw the expression on her face, "Wha…?"

"I'm not used to seeing you embarrassed." Usagi smiled and moved her face closer to Rei's, causing the dark haired girl to turn even redder. "You look cute when you're flustered." As soon as the words left her lips, she closed the small distance between them and Rei's.

Amethyst eyes closed as she returned the kiss eagerly. She could feel her desire to deepen the kiss and when she felt her Princess' tongue lick her lips she could barely hold herself back, but she couldn't ignore what she felt. It took a great amount of effort on her part, but she forced herself to pull away from Usagi, "Wait…" She turned her face away from the other girl and frowned, "We can't…you're still linked with End…" Rei shook her head, "I mean Mamoru-san, I can feel it."

Usagi was silent after the miko's statement and closed her eyes in thought. There was still something there, she couldn't deny that, but her feelings for the girl she laid next to dulled that connection to the point where she barely even noticed it herself. She had to be honest with the other girl though, "You're right…I'm still connected to Mamoru and I will be until we can talk to each other. I'll tell him my feelings at that time and I'm sure he'll understand."

' _Mamoru_ , she never called him that before.' Rei thought to herself. "Understanding and being able to let you go are two very different things, believe me I know that."

The blonde haired girl nodded her head slowly, "I'm sure, but I know Mamoru though. He wouldn't force me to stay in our relationship if he knew I loved you. Since he came back I haven't really spent any time with him. Outside of the fights with youma, I haven't spoken to him much either. Things were different while you were gone." She looked down for a moment before looking back to Rei, with more conviction in her eyes, "Besides, I know what I'm feeling and this feels right…"

Rei saw the other girl leaning closer to her and she bit her lower lip. God she wanted to give in to her desire for the other girl, but again she resisted, sitting up allowing Usagi to only make contact with air. She moved to the end of the bed and sat at its edge, looking at her feet. She didn't enjoy rejecting Usagi once let alone twice, but she couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of her stomach. At first she used Mamoru as an excuse, but that wasn't what was bothering her, she could tell that now. She could feel a lump form in her throat; she tried to swallow it back, but was having a difficult time. She could feel Usagi shifting on the bed to behind her, so she decided to say what she needed to before she could be distracted by her love again, "Can't you understand that I don't deserve any of this…I certainly don't deserve to be with you after everything." Rei said, doing her best to maintain her composure. She found it to be a near impossible task no matter how hard she tired. She was a little surprised when she felt Usagi slid down bed and sit beside her.

Usagi reached her hand over to the girl next to her. She put her hand under Rei's chin and gently turned her head toward her. Once they were face to face again Usagi smiled, "Why don't you let me decide that for myself?" She said and ran her thumb over the other girl's lower lip. "I love you, Rei. And I have to follow what my heart tells me."

"And that is…" Rei said, encouraging her to finish.

"…Exactly what I'm doing right now." Usagi said and dropped her hand from Rei's chin and leaned forward. Before she could say anything in response, Usagi had covered her lips with her own. Rei didn't do anything to break the kiss this time; instead she closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of her Princess' lips against hers. She pulled back and stared straight into Rei's eyes, "I meant everything I told you while we were on the Moon and I hope you do as well."

"Of course I do!" She replied quickly and bit louder than she intended. She looked away for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed. She could hear giggling coming from her companion. She looked over to the girl and saw she had her hand covering her mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter. "It's not funny. What if someone were to come up here and see what's going?"

Usagi stopped laughing, but continued to wear a big grin on her face as she spoke, "Don't worry. If anyone were to come, I'd come up with something."

Rei sighed and shook her head, "Usa, you never cease to amaze me." Usagi smiled even wider at the other girl's statement, but she stared at her curiously when she hunched forward and lowered her head, so she was now looking at the floor. "My feelings for you have never changed, if anything they've grown stronger. I don't think the words even exist for me to describe how I feel about you. What I do know and can say honestly is that with everything I am, I love you, I always will as I always have. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to finally tell you that…but…"

Usagi could feel her cheeks warm as she listened to Rei's words, as long as she loved her there wasn't any else that mattered, "No buts. You can't say that and then expect me to hate you for something that wasn't even your fault."

"You're too sweet, Usagi. How can you forgive me?" She asked and looked up at her Princess.

"Silly, that's what I'm telling you, there's nothing to forgive because you didn't do anything wrong. That's the truth. You can ask any of the girls and they'll tell you the same." Usagi stood up abruptly and pounded her fist into her open hand. "That's it!" She pulled Rei up to her feet, "I order you to go see all of the girls and talk to them."

"Usagi…" The miko began, but the other girl could tell exactly where she was going and immediately cut her off.

"That's an imperial order, Hino Rei, from your Princess." Usagi countered quickly.

Rei stared at the blonde, "That's a misuse of power!"

"Tough, I'm not taking it back." The Moon Princess said and stuck her tongue out at Rei. The dark haired girl lowered her head in defeat, but also muttered something under her breath; which Usagi couldn't completely make it out, but the little she understood was something to the effect of 'that not being how a Princess should act'. It didn't bother her in the slightest though. Her expression became more serious as she added, "Besides, I have something I need to do anyway and promise afterwards, you'll take me seriously."

Rei wasn't sure she was up to talking everyone. After they arrived back to Earth, exhaustion essentially overtook her, there was no more fighting to be done so she could finally allow herself to give in to the fatigue. Consequently, she didn't speak with the girls, outside of just after the fight. It wasn't like she didn't want to talk with them, she loved her friends, but wanted to look them straight in their eyes and she wasn't sure she could do that right now. Even with how many times Usagi told her that nothing was her fault; she was still having a hard time forgiving herself being in that position in the first place.

Usagi reached out suddenly and cupped Rei's cheek in her hand, "I don't want you to beat yourself up over what happened. No one else would have faired better. You aren't weak for falling for her manipulation. You're one of the strongest people I know and I'm not just talking about physically. You fought her control the entire time; I could feel that from the very first moment she assaulted your mind even if I wasn't fully aware of what happened."

Rei marveled at her princess, 'It's like she's reading my mind.' She covered Usagi's hand with her own and smiled, "I give up Princess. I can't argue with you over this. I want to see them even though I'd rather stay with you." She said and paused, "Can you at least tell me where you're going?"

Usagi tapped her forefinger to her chin thoughtfully for a moment before saying any thing, "Alright, that's fair I guess. I'm going to go see Mamoru."

The miko was surprised to hear that, but did her best to hide it. Though when she thought about it, seeing him did coincide with what her Princess said earlier. "So you're going to tell him right away?"

"Yes, it's best this way."

Rei nodded and looked to the ground as she said, "Tell him I'm sorry that I hurt him at that time." She remembered what she did to the Prince of Earth and she also knew that if she hadn't been stopped, she probably would have killed the man.

Usagi looked sympathetic as she said, "Rei…"

"Please Usa."

The Moon Princess nodded her head, "Okay, I tell him."

"Thank you." She said and looked up with a small smile on her face. She was relieved to hear Usagi say that she'd tell him; she didn't want that hanging over her head. "Usa, do you think I can get cleaned up before going to see the girls?"

"Go ahead and take yours first, I'll get some clothes ready for you." Usagi said, nearly pushing the other girl out the door.

"You don't think anyone will see me, do you? I don't want to cause any trouble for you." Rei said and stopped at the door.

"No, and if anyone does see you I'll come up with something, like I said earlier."

The Shinto priestess tilted her head to the side curiously, "Like what?"

Usagi waved her hand in the air and said, "I don't know…maybe that my girlfriend slept over and she just wanted to clean up after last night."

Rei's mouth opened and then shut again, she didn't know how to respond to that. Part of her thought the other girl didn't fully understand the connotation of her statement, but the sly smile she wore told her otherwise. "Usagi! Do you want your parents to throw me out of your house?" She said finally finding her voice.

The blonde rolled her eyes at the question, "Come on Rei, I wasn't being serious." She lowered her head for a moment before looking back up, "You don't have to worry, I promise."

Rei gave a quick nod, "Ok, I'll still be as quick as possible."

Usagi shook her head slowly, "You can take as long as you need." She assured her. The dark haired girl simply smiled and exited the room as stealthily as possible.

Usagi shook her head once more at the other girl and walked over to her phone before quickly dialing a number, one she'd dialed more times than she could count in the past. After a few rings someone answered on the other line, "Mamoru?" She was silent for a moment, obviously listening to the response. "Yeah, do you think we can get together in…" She looked the clock in her room, "…in about an hour?" She silently listened to him reply again. "Somewhere quiet…how about that park across from your apartment?" She became quiet once more before saying, "Alright thanks. I'll see you then." She said her last sentence as cheerfully as she could it but only sounded fake to her. She placed the phone back down on its receiver and sat on the edge of her bed, waiting for Rei to return.

* * *

Haruka entered Setsuna's study or what  _was_  her study quietly. It felt strange being in the room knowing that her green haired friend wouldn't be returning to this room, that she spent so much of her time in. She looked around the room briefly before walking the desk on the other side of the room. Even though Michiru, Setsuna, and she all lived in the same house, she rarely entered the study. Nothing was ever stated directly, but it was more or less inferred that this was  _Setsuna's_  room and despite what happened the night before Haruka still felt as though she were trespassing.

As she approached the desk she noticed something sitting in the center of it. On the desk sat a small pad of paper. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she walked behind the desk to get a closer look. She grabbed the pad and read the words inscribed there. The blond haired woman's eyes widened at the words on the page. She tore the page from the pad and held the paper tightly in her hand before she ran out of the room to find the other residents of the house.

* * *

Rei was already about a block away from Usagi's house when she looked back to see her Princess leaving the building in a far more conventional than she did, through the front door. She watched her go in the opposite direction than where she was. She'd offered to walk with her to his apartment, but she said it wasn't necessary. A part of her wanted to follow the other girl so they could talk to everyone together, but another part of her realized this was something she should do on her own. Watching her walk away with confidence only gave Rei strength, what she was going to do was a lot more difficult than what she had to do.

Not wasting anymore time, she began walking. Rei thought in her head about who would be the closest to get from where she currently was and after a short time she came to the conclusion that Makoto's would be closest. With her destination firmly in mind she set off on a brisker pace than what she was walking at a few moments ago. It took a good fifteen minutes of walking before she reached the block her friend lived on, but after that she found her self in front of the girl's apartment in no time. Rei took a deep breath and rang the door bell. As she waited for Makoto to answer, the thought that she probably should have called prior to showing up on the girl's doorstep occurred to her. Of course, that was a moot point because she was already there. After a few more seconds of waiting, Rei heard the door unlock before the turning of the doorknob. She looked forward expectantly, but once the door opened completely she was quite surprised, "Ami?"

The blue haired girl seemed just as surprised to see her, "O-Oh hi, Rei!"

'What was Ami doing at Makoto's so early in the morning?' Rei thought as she looked around, still confused, even wondering if she'd gone to the wrong house at first.

"Why don't you come in, Makoto should be back in a few." Ami said breaking the silence.

Rei nodded and stepped inside, 'This is definitely Makoto's place…' The dark haired miko took a couple steps inside, giving Ami more than enough room to close the door. Once Ami had turned around faced Rei, she voiced the question that was on her mind from the moment the door opened, "Why are you at Makoto's place?"

Barely after the words left her lips both girls looked at the door upon hearing it being unlocked once more. Ami rushed towards the door, but it opened before could reach it. Makoto stepped inside with a brown paper bag in her hands. She shut the door without looking up and said, "Hey honey, I'm…" She looked up before completing her greeting to see both Ami and Rei staring at her, "…back?"

Ami hit her forehead with the palm of her hand before sighing and looking the girl at the door, "Makoto, we have company." She said and gestured toward the other girl in the apartment. For her part, Rei simply waved somewhat awkwardly at Makoto.

The brown haired girl walked forward and said, "Hi Rei, make yourself at home I'll be right back." Repositioning the bag in her hand, "I've got to go put all of this away."

After a couple seconds the blue haired girl said, "I'll go help her with that." After that Ami hurried into what was apparently the kitchen, leaving Rei all alone.

The miko was more amused by the two girls now more than anything. She walked over to a recliner that was situated across from a love seat and sat down to wait for her two friends to return. She could hear them talking, but they weren't talking very loud so she couldn't really make out anything they were saying, not that she was trying to eavesdrop or anything. It was several more minutes before the talking stopped and both girls left the kitchen, Makoto carrying a tray of something.

"So, what brings you here? I thought you'd still be resting or something." Makoto said and placed down a tray of snacks on the coffee table. Ami and she both sat in the love seat.

"I need to talk to you…I mean; I need to talk with both of you about something."

"What is it Rei?" Ami asked curiously.

"I'm sorry…" Rei started to say, but she couldn't finish since the rest of the words she wanted to say caught in her throat. God this was going to be harder than she thought.

"You don't have to apologize for any…" Ami said, but Rei managed to get her voice and cut her off.

"No, I do! I'm sorry for what I did…for what I tried to do." Rei said sadly.

"It wasn't your fault." Makoto said honestly.

"I should have been able to stop myself. I knew what I was doing deep down and yet I still couldn't stop myself. I could have killed the two of you." Rei said remorsefully.

"If you could have stopped yourself, we know you would have." Ami said.

"Yeah." Makoto said, backing up her girlfriend. She didn't hold anything against their friend and neither did Ami. They were more relieved then anything to finally get her back. "Besides, you fought the manipulation. We saw you save Usagi despite everything."

"But I could have gone after anyone and…" Rei said grimly.

"Stop that! Stop beating yourself up over something you couldn't control. I'm fine, Ami's fine, and so are you; that's what's important. She could have forced anyone of us into that situation." Makoto argued.

"But she didn't use anyone else; she used me to hurt everyone." Rei countered.

"Please listen to her, Rei. All of us knew that that wasn't you and we don't blame you for it, so you shouldn't blame yourself either." Ami said.

Rei lowered her head, "That's easier said than done." She said quietly.

"I know you have a lot of resolve and if there was anyway  _anyway_  for you to stop what was happening, you would have. I also know you're not used to having things out of your control, but some times you have to depend on someone else." Makoto said truthfully. She smiled slightly when she felt her girlfriend's hand over her own.

Rei nodded her head, "You're right." She said and paused before smiling, "Don't get used to hearing that." She couldn't help but stare that how the two girls held hands, with their fingers intertwined. After everything she'd seen since arrived it only led to one realization, "So when did this happen?" Rei asked.

Ami blushed while Makoto smiled, "Only a little while ago." Makoto said cheerfully. It was really like a dream that everything turned out so well. Usagi was able to bring Rei back like she promised. Ami and her were together and everything seemed right.

"And only after Minako's urging." Ami added. They owed a great deal to the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love. Ami noticed that she took Rei's situation worse than all of them, expect for maybe Usagi.

"Minako did that?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, she was pretty…insistent." Makoto admitted.

The miko couldn't help but smile; she could only imagine what the 'Goddess of Love' did… "Actually speaking of Minako, I should be going. I have to see her as well."

"Her too?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, I promised Usagi." She said and got up.

"Let me walk you out." Makoto said and started to stand up, but Rei held up her arm.

"It's fine. You two just continue what you were going to do before I showed up." She said with a mischievous smile before quickly making her exit.

* * *

Usagi approached the park's entrance slowly. It had been a little more than an hour since she spoke to Mamoru on the phone, so she was sure he would already be there, though she didn't specify where so she hoped he was near the entrance. Much to her relieve she could see him stand by the park sign, near the entrance. She walked up the man because he had noticed that she'd arrived, "Hi Mamoru." She said startling him, as evident by him jumping a bit.

He pushed off the fence, "Hi, Usagi."

Without another word they both started to walk into the park. It was still rather quiet inside, outside of the runners and occasional old couple walking around. They walked for a fair amount of time before they came across a bench overlooking a small, but good size pond. Despite it being so close to where he lived he very rarely came to this park. He did usually run in the morning, but he usually just ran near the street.

They sat in silence for what seemed like a long time, but it couldn't have been much more than a couple minutes. Since she was the one who arranged their meeting he'd somewhat expected her to start the conversation. Really though, there was no reason to beat around the bush, he already knew why Usagi wanted to 'talk', even though there wasn't much talking going on.

"I guess that's what it took. You just needed to tell Rei how you really feel about her." Mamoru said, not only surprising her with what he said, but the fact that he was the first to begin the conversation.

"You mean that you knew…" Usagi stared but Mamoru spoke over her before she could finish. He already knew what she was going to say any way.

"I didn't know it was Rei exactly, but I did know that you were falling in love with someone else." Mamoru said and Usagi only looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "I should be one hundred percent honest with you. When I left for America, I didn't leave because of some job offer. I left because I wanted to give you the space you needed to sort out your feelings. So I made the decision to leave and in hopes that you would be able to realize how divided your heart had become. I didn't want to hurt you, but also didn't want to stay and make things more difficult for you. In retrospect, it may have been best for me to have told you everything rather than leaving you to figure out everything on your own and hurt you in the process."

Usagi didn't know what to say, so she said the first thing take came to mind, "Was it that obvious?"

"Perhaps not to everyone…well maybe Minako…but to me yes." Mamoru said and paused for a few seconds, "I felt my connection to you slipping for some time, but I ignored it for a while before it became too hard to ignore. Outside of sensing when you were in danger I was losing my connection to you. Whether you were subconsciously closing me out at the time I didn't know, but either way I knew I was losing you even if you didn't realize it yourself."

She shook her head, hardly believing what she was hearing, "How? Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I didn't want to hurt you…actually it might have been more about hurting me. I think I was trying to spare myself from having to actually see you go to someone else." Mamoru laughed a little at his statement, "I guess that worked out really well…"

"Mamoru…"

He cut her off before she could finish, "All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy and if you are happier with someone else, I can accept that. I am a little sad though, now that it's actually happened. Despite already making up my mind to let you go if truly wished to be with someone else, i-it's h-hard." His voice wavering a little at the end.

"I'm so sorry." Usagi said quietly.

Mamoru laughed a little at her apology, not mockingly, but at the foolishness of it, "Usagi…why are you apologizing?"

"Because…I really don't want to hurt you."

"You can't control you feelings. You are only human after all." He said as cheerfully as he could. He could see out of the corner of his eyes that she was nodding her head. "I-I can't completely break our connection. You have to do it."

Usagi could feel the tears start to well up as she opened her mouth, "I-I can't spend the re-rest of my life w-with you be-because I l-love someone else." She said before the dam broke, so to speak.

"See, th-that wasn't so h-hard." He said and looked away. He didn't want her to feel sorry for him and he knew if she saw the expression on his face right now that would be exactly what would happen. He stood up and took a few steps away from the bench, "Usagi?"

"Y-Yes?"

"I don't want you to cry, you've already done enough of that the last few days. That look doesn't suit you." He said and turned around and smiled. "I wish you…and Rei the best. Truly I do." Mamoru started to walk away at the time, but stopped when he heard Usagi's voice.

"You'll be okay, right?"

He nodded his head, "I'm sure I will be." He said and continued to walk and as he did he thought about whether he should have told her about his concerns for what the future had in store, but there was time for that later, he told himself. Besides, he didn't want to place any doubt in her mind with his own anxiety about the future. He didn't have any doubt that the future did enter into her thoughts when she chose the path she did and yet she still chose Rei anyway. Mamoru smiled sadly to himself that was the kind of love he thought he had a one time with Usagi, a love that could overcome anything.

* * *

Rei rang the doorbell and leaned against the railing as she waited for someone to come to the door. She lowered her head and sighed, Minako was the one she really wanted to apologize to, but not just for attacking her…

"Hello, how may I help you?"

Rei's head shot up as she looked at the woman at the door. The woman was very much a striking image of Minako, only older, obviously her mother. "Uh…sorry, I'm here to see Minako-chan."

"And you are?"

The dark haired girl bowed slightly, "Oh sorry, my name is Rei. Hino Rei."

The woman continued to look at her curiously and while Rei didn't intend to, she was beginning to get irritated. 'Why hasn't she even asked me to come inside? Isn't that the courteous thing to do?' Rei was about to say something she probably would have regretted later, when she heard her friend's voice.

"Oka-san, who's…?" Minako started to say when she stood next to her mother, "Rei?"

She waved to her friend, "Hi Minako."

The young blonde quickly opened the screen door and motioned for her friend to enter, "Don't just stand there come in." She said and held the door open. As soon as she was inside Minako grabbed her hand and started to pull Rei up the stairs with her, "We'll be up stairs in my room, Oka-san!" She called as she continued upwards.

Rei allowed her friend to lead the way, since she'd never been in her house before. Two doors away from the top of the stairs, Minako stopped and opened the door. She guided Rei inside and closed the door once they were both inside. Rei looked at the senshi of love oddly, "What's with your mother?"

The blond haired girl looked down, "She's a little over-protective." Rei nodded her head in response. Minako stepped a little closer to her companion and leaned forward, as though she were inspecting her friend, "So, what do I owe the pleasure? I don't believe you've come over to my house before now."

"I came here to apologize for everything that happened." She explained.

"You don't…"

"No, let me finish Minako." She paused and took a deep breath, "I'm not just talking about while I was being manipulated. I'm sorry about everything before that too. I'm sorry I put you in the position I did. I'm sorry for the burden I put on your shoulders."

Minako shook her head and wiped her eyes with her hands, "Silly, you don't need to apologize for anything." She said and stepped closer to the dark haired girl before embracing her, "That doesn't matter. All I wished for while you were gone was for your safe return"

"Minako…" Rei whispered apologetically into the other girl's ear.

"I know…just let me have this moment." Rei nodded and held her back, "I was so worried about y-you." Minako said her voice failing her a little at the end.

"I'm sorry, you were right all along. I shouldn't have ever been so stupid." Rei said and pushed herself slightly away from Minako so she could look into her eyes, "I know you'll find someone who will love you how you should be loved, cause I'm hopeless you know that, right?"

Minako shook her head, "You're not hopeless, if anyone is…I am. Please don't worry about me though I'm happy for you and I'm glad you and Usagi found each other again. I want you to be happy more than anything. You deserve it, perhaps more than anyone."

"Still, I never wanted to hurt you." Rei said.

"You never hurt me, I hurt myself. You were never mine in this lifetime or the last…your heart always belonged to her." Minako conceded.

"Minako…" Rei started but was cut off.

"Rei, you don't need to say anything. Don't worry about me; I'm sure I'll find someone else…eventually. Just do me a favor and always be honest with yourself and Usagi because if you are, there won't be anything that can tear you two apart in this lifetime. I'm sure everything else will work out in time as well, because in the face of love, destiny is no match for it." Minako said and gave Rei the brightest smile she could muster.

Rei smiled too, "Thanks Minako, I have no intention of losing her this time." Rei said and realized it was starting to get late 'Usagi must be almost done with talking to Mamoru', "I should be going though, but Minako I want you to know that if you ever need to talk I'll be here."

"I know Rei. The same goes for me, if you ever want to talk…"

"Thanks Minako." She said and smiled before taking a step toward the door. "I mean it Minako; if you ever need anything don't hesitate to call me. I'll be there for you no matter what." She turned around and reached for the doorknob when she felt a hand on her wrist.

"Then can you do one thing for me…"

Rei turned to Minako. She had her head down as though she couldn't look her in the eye as she spoke. As her eyes remained fixed downward she added, "Just once…can you kiss me…like you would Usagi?" Minako looked up and saw her friend was looking away from her. She silently cursed herself for being so selfish, "Never mind, I should have never asked you to…mmff…" Her words were cut off by a pair of lips against hers. Rei held the back of her head with one hand and her shoulder with the other. Minako felt herself being pushed up against the wall beside the door and gasped at the impact. The action allowed Rei full access to her mouth, which she took advantage of by exploring the new territory with her tongue, causing the other girl to moan in the back of her throat. All too quickly though, Minako could feel the moment coming to an end as she could feel Rei pulling away. She blushed hotly as the kiss ended and she could no longer feel her friend's lips.

Rei rested her forehead against her friend's, "I do love you Minako…just not the same way you do. I didn't want to kiss you because I didn't want to make this any harder for you, but if this was your one wish, how can I deny you it after all you've done for me?" She said and moved back even further, "But I can never do that again. I can't betray Usagi, I love her too much."

Minako nodded, she knew it would never happen again, she knew that Rei had done that for her sake and she'd never forget that. "I know." She said and smiled the truest smile she'd done in a while, "I can feel your love for her radiating off of you. It's powerful. Both of you will be happy together."

Rei smiled and opened the door, "Thank you, Minako." She said and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"No, thank you." The blond teen whispered before pushing herself off the wall and touching her lips.

* * *

Michiru stared at the paper Haruka had just handed her, "This means…"

"She knew." Haruka answered, even before Michiru finished her sentence.

Hotaru walked into the front room and looked around to see what the commotion was all about. She looked between the two women curiously, "What is it?"

Michiru handed the younger girl the paper she was holding, "From Setsuna."

Hotaru took the paper and read the words written on it, there wasn't much there, a mere five words were inscribed, but Setsuna's meaning was very clear. She looked up to her guardians, "She knew she wasn't coming back and she left this behind to remove any doubt we might have."

Haruka nodded her head in agreement, "It definitely seems that way."

"Should we tell the other girls about this?" Michiru asked and looked at companions.

"I don't think there's really any need. Nothing's changed for them; they don't need any direction as to what path to take. They will follow Setsuna's wish even without seeing this note." Haruka said with a smile.

"That's true." Michiru said and nodded. "What should we do first then? The note wasn't very specific."

"It didn't need to be. She obviously left this out in the open for us to find it and with it being so general it simply means there's no immediate threat. However, I don't think we should let our guard down because of that, there are still threats out there we just need to keep a watchful eye over them. This was her last wish, after all." Hotaru stated and placed the paper down on the end table beside her.

"Why don't we go for a ride then?" Haruka suggested and grabbed her keys from the coffee table in the center of the room.

* * *

Rei smiled as she reached the familiar stone steps, she was home. She told Usagi that she would return to the jinja to see her Grandfather once she'd spoke to her friends as she was told to do. She touched the torii at the base of the stairs for a second before skipping up the many stairs before she reached the main shrine. Many people found it tiring, but Rei always saw it as a form of training especially since she had to climb up and down the steps several times a day on many occasions. When she reached the top she simply stepped inside. Since today was a part of the weekend and it was the middle of the day, the doors were wide open for any customers.

"It's good see you're finally back!"

Rei looked to her left to see her Grandfather holding a broom with a cheerful look on his face, "I'm sorry it took so long."

"I guess it was unavoidable." The old man said quietly. He closed his eyes and said, "Your spirit is calmer. Something must have happened while you were away."

The miko smiled, "Yeah, you could say that…"

"You don't want to tell your poor old grandfather what that was?"

Rei rolled her eye at his act, but inside she smiling like fool, he always tried to pull the sympathy card, "You're not  _that_  old Jii-chan. And perhaps I'll tell you, just not right now."

"I see." He said sounding as sad as he could, "I guess that'll have to do."

"Jii-chan, I'm going to go inside and change now. I want to do a fire reading. It feels like it's been forever since I've done one."

"Alright, I thought that'd be one of the first things you would do once you returned." He said and started to sweep the walkway as he had been doing before she showed up.

Rei nodded and ran up to the shrine. She slid open the doors and hurried down the hall to her room, but stopped a short distance from her intended location and stared at the man a little bit away from her, 'Yuuichirou…' She bit her lower lip before swiftly moving forward toward the scruffy looking man. Without any hesitation she bowed her head, starling him slightly, "I'm sorry."

"Wha…?"

She kept her head lowered as she continued, "I'm sorry for how I acted that night. My mind was so focused on something that I took my frustrations out on you a bit."

"I-It's alright, it's in the past now." Yuuichirou said. He seemed a little unsure how to respond to an apology from the miko, mostly because it wasn't something he heard often from her.

Rei stood up straight and looked at him, "Thanks." She said and even flashed him a small smile before hurrying down the hall again, leaving a very perplexed looking Yuuichirou. She entered her room and sighed, it was good to be home. She stood there for a little longer before walking over the room's only closet. She opened the sliding door and saw her miko robes hanging there. She smiled at the welcome sight and looked down at the clothes she currently wore, they were Usagi's. It seemed so long ago that she had to borrow a different set of clothes from the girl, but under similar circumstances. She silently removed the clothing when a thought occurred to her, she was wearing a set of pajamas when she woke up, but she knew there was no way she was wearing any when her transformation faded when they arrived back on Earth. In fact, she was fairly she wasn't wearing anything… Rei suddenly turned beet red. She resumed removing the clothes she was wearing slowly, 'If I don't stop thinking about everything that Usagi saw, I'll never be able to concentrate.' She told herself and took a deep breath to ease herself.

After a few minutes, Rei found herself in her miko attire. She then left her room and headed toward the room with the Great Fire. She arrived at the room quickly, as it was not very far from her room anyway. As soon as she entered she walked in front of the tall fire and sat down. Again she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. 'I know I'll be able to do this.' She assured herself and after one more deep breath she performed the hand signs she'd memorized many years ago and concentrated. She felt like smiling as she connected with the fire as easily she done in the past, but she kept a calm expression so she didn't break her concentration. She remained still for several minutes more before she felt another presence in the room. Except this time she allowed herself to smile, she knew that would mean she'd likely lose the connection she had, but it was worth it. Besides, she didn't really get an answer to her first question and she figured it was unlikely to come if it hadn't already.

Usagi smiled mischievously and tip-toed over to the unsuspecting girl. She didn't look like she was doing anything other then just sitting there; she didn't seem to doing a fire reading at that time. The blonde haired girl held her arms out at her sides and seemed ready to pounce at any moment when…

"Usagi…don't even think about it." Rei warned gently, without turning around.

The Moon Princess pouted slightly, "How'd you know?" she asked the other girl's back.

Rei looked over her shoulder at the still pouting blonde, "I'm physic, remember?" She said and smiled at the end. She turned back to the fire and closed her eyes, but she could hear the sound of retreating foot steps. Without turning away from the fire she said, "You don't have leave. Just take a seat, I'm almost done."

Usagi nodded even though the other girl wasn't looking and sat on the floor with her legs crossed. She watched Rei in amazement, she didn't often get to see Rei in front of the great fire and seeing her now, made her wish she got to witness this more often. Though there weren't any doors opened a wind seemed to surround her, blowing back her hair from the fire, and surrounding her a glowing light, though that was most likely from the fire itself.

Rei got up after only a short time longer, but continued to face the fire, "I've missed this."

"What?" Usagi asked curiously.

She turned around and walked over to her Princess, offering her hand to the other girl. Usagi quickly took her hand and found herself being brought to her feet with ease. She took Usagi's other hand in her own stared straight into her eyes. "Life." She said with a wide smile.

Usagi smiled in return, "Are you a philosopher now?"

Rei shook her head, "I'm just being honest." She let go of Usagi's hands and stretched her arms out at her sides and spun around once, "All of this; my home, my family, my friends…" She stopped and faced Usagi, "You. I've missed everything. What I was doing, just yesterday, I couldn't call that living. I guess you can say I have new perspective on things now."

"So does this mean a kinder gentler Rei-chan?" Usagi questioned playfully. The miko frowned slightly at the question and when it looked like she was about to say something, Usagi thought a change of subject was in order. "So, how did everything go? I was right wasn't I?" she asked cheerfully.

Rei looked down and smiled, so it couldn't be seen, "Yes." She looked up with a more serious look on her face and added, "Don't rub it in."

Usagi smiled and nodded, "I wouldn't."

Rei smiled despite her disbelieve that her love was telling the truth. That smile faded moments later as she thought back to her time in front of the Great Fire.

"What's wrong?"

The miko looked sideways and tried to give the girl her best smile, though she wasn't very successful, "I guess I'm just disappointed in myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I resisted coming back. I felt the pain you were in and I could only selfishly think of myself." Rei said looked at Usagi sadly. Rei noticed she was looking at her with a confused look, so she explained further. "When everyone gave you their power and you transformed into that new form with the wings, you succeeded. At least you did until I didn't allow myself to come back."

"I still don't understand. I thought I wasn't successful."

"There was a part of me, a small part of me, that didn't wish to come back. I was weak and stupid enough to listen to that part of myself, I'm sorry. I feared the certain rejection from you, I feared what would happen to the future if I told you how I felt, heck I feared just telling you. But then, I also didn't want to come back if it meant everything would return to the way it was." Rei smiled dejectedly and looked up at Usagi. "All of that probably sounds so stupid." She added as a few stray tears fell down her cheeks.

Usagi let go of Rei's arm and stepped in front of her. She covered her cheeks with her hands and wiped away the lingering wetness. Usagi shook her head 'no', "It doesn't. You were afraid and no matter what you may have felt I'm sure it wasn't  _you_  that was holding back."

Rei shook her head, "No, it was me. Kei's manipulation didn't have anything to do with that." She could see her Princess was already going to counter her statement, but she shook her head once more, "I already meditated on it, it was me subconsciously at least." She paused to observe the other girl's reaction, "Tell me what you're thinking."

"It doesn't change anything. You were afraid and really so was I, which is part the reason I wanted to wait until you were back to normal to tell you. I was delaying it, but when I finally told you how I felt it just  _felt_  right, you know?" She asked causing Rei to nod her head in agreement. "Besides, you came back to me in the end and that's the most important thing."

Rei nodded her head slowly; her Princess had absolved her of any wrong doing again. She wouldn't make her have to do that again. "I love you." She said and brushed the back of her hand against her love's cheek, "Have I even told you that yet today?" Usagi shook her head yes, "I still have a long way to go for all those other days I wanted to tell you though." Rei leaned forward and the two girls shared a quick but tender kiss. The avatar of Mars took the blonde haired girl's hand in her own and lead her out of the fire room. They walked slowly and mostly in silence until they reached the miko's room. Once they were inside Rei shut the door and looked over to Usagi, "So how did everything go with Mamoru-san?"

"It went…well. He was more understanding than I expected." She said and paused to take a deep breath before continuing, "It was hard, but I don't regret it. It would be unfair to not be honest with him."

"So it's done." Rei muttered softly and received a nod from her…girlfriend? That was appropriate at this point wasn't it? She dropped to one knee and looked seriously at Usagi.

The Moon Princess almost laughed but she didn't when she saw how resolute the other girl looked, "Rei, what are you doing?"

It was only right to make it official, "Usagi, will you be my girlfriend?"

She did laugh this time, "Of course! I thought you'd never ask!" She said and moved forward and hugged Rei tightly, which was returned with equal enthusiasm.

* * *

End Ch. 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so my story draws closer to its end. This was a nice relaxing chapter to write, especially after so much angst. And after so long Rei and Usagi are official.


	35. Towards the Unseen Future

Chapter 35 – Towards the Unseen Future

* * *

Even though it hadn't even been a full day since their final battle, Tokyo felt much more peaceful, especially for a small group of teenage girls. Another threat had been averted though millions of Japanese citizens were none the wiser. Only a select few would ever know of what happened, but it was better that way, for everyone…

"Do you think some thing's going on between them?" Makoto asked and handed Ami a soapy plate.

Ami took the object and began to rinse it off as she said, "Who?" She asked before grabbing a towel and proceeding to dry the plate.

Makoto finished washing another dish and said, "You know, Usagi and Rei?"

"Oh I thought that was obvious enough with how they acted since Usagi brought her back." Ami said matter-of-factly as she placed the dish in her hand in the cabinet. She turned back to her girlfriend expecting another plate, but found her staring forward, with dish back in the soapy water. "What's wrong?"

"How come I'm the last to figure this stuff out?"

Ami looked at her love sympathetically, before drying off her hands completely with the towel she had. She walked behind the taller girl and wrapped her arms around her mid-section. The blue haired girl rubbed the brunette's flat stomach and whispered, "Don't take it so hard."

Makoto sighed and cover her girlfriend's hands with her own, "I guess, it just makes me think about how much time I wasted with you."

"Hey, that was just as much my fault. Besides, I thought that wasn't an issue any more."

The brunette turned around in the embrace and looked at the girl holding on to her, "I know. I know. It's just…"

Ami shook her head slowly, "Nope, if you know I'm right, don't argue." She could see the other girl was about to protest, so she quickly intervened and placed her forefinger on her lips. "No arguing." She completely released Makoto, she knew one sure fire way to silence the girl. She raised herself on her toes and leaned forward before covering the girlfriend's lips with her own. Once they parted, Ami took Makoto's hand and started to pull on the girl's arm, for her to follow.

"There's still more dishes…" She said and motioned to the sink. Her heart skipped a beat at the lustful look she received… 'The dishes could wait.' She thought to herself and allowed Ami to pull her away from the kitchen.

"Minako?"

The blonde haired girl jumped slightly before looking around quickly. Her eyes focused on the ground to her left, "Oh, hey Artemis."

"What's wrong?" the white cat asked carefully.

The teen shook her head, "Nothing."

He stared at her for a little longer before jumping on the bed next to her, "Don't lie to me Minako. I've known you for a long time now and can tell when something's on your mind."

Minako took a deep breath a glanced over to the cat to her left, "Artemis, the future is changing. I'm sure it is even as we speak. Even though the future was something we fought for, I don't mind that it's changing. I'd fight anyone that would dare threaten this new future that's awaiting us. I'd fight them more fiercely than any enemy we've encountered before now."

Though it was hard to believe a cat could wear such an expression, he looked confused. "What do you mean Mina?"

"I mean Rei and Usagi. They're changing everything. Their love is."

'The Princess and…' He thought and looked down when another thought entered his mind, 'I wonder how Luna will take this?'

Minako fell back onto her bed, "More than anything, I want them to be happy."

* * *

Rei sat on the futon in her room and Usagi sat next to her. The miko leaned back on her hands and stared at the girl beside her, "So, what happens now?"

"Now…now we live. We live for our future, together." Usagi said and leaned into Rei. She brought her head up, so her lips could met Rei's. However, Rei put her hands on Usagi's shoulders, halting her before their lips could touch.

"There is one more thing that has been on my mind, though …Chibi-Usa…" Rei said, trailing off at the end. She could feel the change in Usagi's body, the tenseness in her shoulders after what she just said. Rei lowered her head, "Setsuna isn't here anymore, Usagi. We can't go to her and ask what this, what  _we_  might do to hurt the future. I didn't have any success when I tried to get an answer about her from the fire." Rei said.

'So that's what else she mediating about.' Usagi thought to herself but remained silent for some time before finding the right thing to say. "Sometimes not knowing the future isn't a bad thing."

"And sometimes knowing what you can lose isn't a good thing." Rei persisted. Whether Usagi wanted to think about it or not she had to. This was the last stumbling block in their relationship and while she didn't really want to put her love on the spot like she did, it was better to have everything out in the open right away. "I can't give you a family and I don't want to take her away from you. I want…no, I need you to be sure of your decision. I'll never question you again after you answer me. So if you have any reservations, please tell me." Rei pleaded.

Usagi placed her hands over Rei's and took them off her shoulders, but continued holding them. Usagi smiled at the dark haired girl, "I love you Rei, never doubt that. I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize that. You suffered so much, and I would do anything to turn back time and tell you that you didn't have to hide your feelings. It was unbearable to see what happened to you. I never want to see you suffer ever again. If I were to say I'm not a little scared about what the future may hold for us I would be lying, but I don't regret telling you how I really feel."

"Usa, I'm so happy to hear you say that but…I need you to answer my question. Are you sure that this is the path you want to take wherever it may lead?" Rei said a little uneasily.

Usagi smiled happily up at Rei, "I'm sure. I've never been surer of anything in my life. If you need more proof…" Usagi said then leaned up to Rei again, but Rei didn't stop her this time. Usagi captured Rei's lips in a passionate kiss, which Rei quickly gave in to and returned with all the longing, all the passion, and all the love she had kept to herself for so long. 'How long have I wished for this moment to happen? For well over a couple thousand years, I've loved this beautiful girl in my arms. She's always been the same kind, pure, and loving soul that I've always wished to spend the rest of my life with for so long.' Rei thought

After what seemed like such a short time, both girls reluctantly broke their kiss. Usagi rested her head on Rei's shoulder, both girls were breathing heavier than normal. Rei held her close, 'I could stay like this forever.' She thought and started stroking her fingers through one of her love's golden pigtails. She rested her head on top of Usagi's and took a deep breath in. She could smell a faint sent of jasmine on Usagi's hair and smiled, "Aishiteru." Rei murmured softly into the golden locks. "I'll never grow tired of telling you that."

"And I'll never grow tired of hearing you say it…" Usagi said and removed her head from Rei's shoulder and looked in her amethyst eyes, "…Because I love you too."

Rei smiled even wider, 'Life is good.' She thought and leaned down and kissed Usagi's lips tenderly. When they parted, the Moon Princess rested her head back on fire senshi's shoulder again and Rei leaned back against the wall. Suddenly Rei was over come by a feeling that they were being watched.

* * *

"So, did your visions tell you if everything would work out with them?" Haruka asked.

"Not really, but I believe in them." Hotaru said with an expression that was slightly sad.

"What's wrong?" Michiru asked.

"Just thinking." Hotaru said simply.

"About Chibi-Usa?" Haruka asked suddenly.

"Well yes, but also about what trials they still have. Rei-san…her battle is over and theirs' is about to begin." Hotaru said mysteriously.

"I thought you said you didn't know what will happen?" Haruka asked.

"Oh, I don't. However, I did know that there would be consequences to either action, but this was the only way for things to turn out if Rei-san were to survive and I don't think we should have done anything differently. I don't wish death upon anyone, Rei-san or Chibi-Usa-chan. And honestly I don't feel we've doomed Chibi-Usa to death, I can sincerely say I believe she will be alright…"

Haruka looked over to Michiru and gave her a knowing look. She then put her hand on Hotaru's shoulder and squeezed it slightly, "Come on…let's go."

"Right, it's not right of us to linger." Hotaru said and wiped her eyes with her sleeve before turning around to face her fellow outer senshi and giving them a small smile.

* * *

Rei turned to the window in her room and looked outside intently.

"What is it?" Usagi asked.

The raven haired girl shook her head, "Nothing." she said and turned away from the window as three women began walking away. "Usagi, do you want to go get something to eat?" Rei asked as she looked down at the blonde.

"I am getting a little hungry, how'd you know?" Usagi asked curiously.

Rei shrugged, "I just felt that you were."

Usagi gave her puzzled look, but dismissed her comment, 'She has always had a good intuition.' "What are you going to make?" Usagi asked.

"I was actually planning on going out to eat, is there anything in particular you want?"

"Ice cream!" Usagi said happily.

Rei sweat dropped at her suggestion, "I wasn't talking about for dessert."

Usagi cocked her head to the side, "Neither was I."

Rei just shook her head at her girlfriend. "Come on, we'll discuss it a little more as we walk." She said and kissed Usagi on her forehead.

"Discuss what?" The Moon Princess asked curiously.

Rei smiled impishly, "Your eating habits."

Usagi got up off of her raven haired girlfriend and stood next to the futon with an insulted expression on her face and her hands on her hips, "And what's wrong with my eating habits?"

She maintained the smile on her face as she spoke, "Oh nothing, if you don't mind rotting your teeth out."

"Are you implying that I don't eat healthy enough?"

"Well then tell me, what do you eat on a  _regular_  basis that is healthy for you, Usa?" Rei asked with the same smile.

"Well, I eat…ah…um…" Usagi said and let out a frustrated sigh when she couldn't come up with anything.

"Exactly, but that's ok. I love you, despite your awful eating habits." Rei said and joined her girlfriend next to her futon. She put her forefinger and middle-finger under Usagi's chin and tilted her head up a little and she leaned down and gently kissed the pouting blonde.

"Jeez Rei, I can't believe you are still so mean to me. Just see if you get anything special from me today." Usagi said and turned her head away afterward.

"Aww come on Usa, I was just tensing you. You know that, right?"

Usagi kept her head turned away from Rei for a little longer 'to heighten the suspense' before speaking up, "Of course I do, silly!" Usagi exclaimed and wrapped her arms around the priestess' waist.

"Now who's the one being mean?" The dark haired girl asked, but Usagi only responded by sticking her tongue out. "Come on, let's get going. I'm starting to get hungry myself now." She said and laughed a little at the end.

"Sure, I wouldn't want my Rei-chan to starve." Usagi said playfully. Rei put her arm around the blonde's shoulder while Usagi kept her arms around the priestess' waist and together they walked out of the room.

Taiyou no kazashinta  
~Shaded by the sunlight  
Kokoro ni anata ga iru  
~In my heart you are here  
Suki to ienakute mo  
~Even without saying you love me  
Anata ga kokoro ni iru  
~You are here in my heart

Nee yuuki wo arigatou  
~Say, thanks for your bravery  
Hora umaretate no power  
~Look, the newly born power  
Subete wo tsutsunde kagayaku  
~Covering everything, shining brightly

Sora ya umi no hirosa yori mo  
~Even more than the spacious sky and the sea  
Yume wa hateshi nai tte  
~My dreams have no limits  
Kidzuita no wa koi wo shite kara  
~I have realized that because I am in love

Unmei no nagare wo  
~In the stream of destiny  
Issho ni oyogitai no  
~I want to swim together with you  
Donna dekigoto ni mo  
~Whatever happens to us  
Maketari shinai you ni  
~I'll be sure not to give up

Nee deaete yokatta  
~Say, I'm glad we met each other  
Sono atatakai kuuki  
~That warm atmosphere around us  
Kizu tsuita hibi ga toketeku  
~The days of being hurt are melting away

Zutto suki datta shinu hodo  
~I love you so much I could die  
Kaze ni tadayou tane ga  
~Drifting in the wind the seed  
Mebuku you na anata no egao  
~Will sprout like your smiling face

Oto mo nai uchuu no sumi ni  
~Where there is no sound in the corners of space  
Daremo ga hitori  
~Everybody is alone  
Semete ai kanjiaetara  
~When at least our feelings of love meet  
Ikite yukeru ashita e to  
~I can go on to tomorrow

Atsuku komiageru kodou wa  
~The throbbing building up warmly  
Towa ni dare no mune ni mo  
~Eternally whoever's heart it is in  
Hibikiwataru mahout no merodi  
~It will resonate loudly, the magical melody

Sora ya umi no aosa yori mo  
~Even more than the blue sky and the sea  
Yume wa suki to otteru to  
~I will chase after my dreams with love  
Anata no me ga oshiete kureta  
~Your deep eyes told me to do that

Ending Theme – Eien no Melody ( '~' denotes the English translation of the above line )

The End

* * *

**Author's Comments:**

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read this and I hope it was enjoyable. I suggest anyone who is interested in the sequel to this, reads this  **fully**. I'll just get started so I don't take up too much time doing this.

 **Inspiration** :

First I would like to say I got inspirited to write this after I read, ' _Absence_ ' by Kirika. I'm sure anyone who has read it can see some similarities between this and ' _Absence_ '. I wanted to something similar to it and yet different. I hope I achieved that. ' _Absence_ ' is without a doubt the best fan-fiction I have ever read, be warned it's a damn long one, contains a yuri scene (lesbian sex scene), and it's violent but if you read this one you've got the same thing to look forward to in there and then some. My story just doesn't include a yuri scene, which is why I rated this R and could up-load it a ; that might not bode well for the sequel however, but I'll get into that later. If you are a fan of Rei/Usagi, you owe it to yourself to read it. The other couples in it are Ami/Makoto, Haruka/Michiru, and Usagi/Mamoru; the same as in this one.

Also, my thanks go out to Takeuchi Naoko for creating the wonderful world that is Sailor Moon. Without her, this story would have never existed. She came up with up with most of the characters I used in this, I only manipulated them and added a few of my own to make this story mine.

 **To my reviewers** :

I love all of you guys (and gals), I've had too many reviewers to name everyone, but everyone who reviewed I really appreciated it. It's a great feeling reading any comments left and that's the truth. I know this story would have never gotten this far without all these reviews. All the initial reviews I got when I re-uploaded this at fanfiction dot net helped me greatly to improve my writing, as I'm sure everyone reading this noticed. I was a complete novice to fan fiction when I began this and think I can safely say I've come a long way from that time.

To anyone that does review this final chapter and wishes me to respond to their thoughts and aren't registered, leave your e-mail; since I won't be able to make comments on reviews any other way. I know I haven't been the best at replying to all the reviews, but I'll make every effort to reply who wish me to.

 **About this story** :

I really had a fun time writing this. I made the ending a little light and happy, you can expect the sequel to be less depressing and have less angst. I debated with myself for a long time whether I should turn Rei 'evil', but in the end, (obviously) I did it. Since Rei was never really one of the bad guys; she was just being manipulated, it made it easier. Rei's temporary turn to evil was actually, where this story started in my head, so I had to leave it in here. Plus, it gave me the perfect opportunity to bring Saturn into this. Saturn and Mars are my favorite senshi, so I had to bring Saturn into my Rei-centric story.

I blended the manga and anime at points, while also changing certain things to make it slightly different than both. For example, how the outers got the Super power up is more similar to how they got it in the manga than in the anime. Whether I was more true to the manga or the anime a certain points really mostly had to do with which I preferred.

 **Sequel** :

I don't have much to say on this subject, because I don't have much other than the beginning thought out. One thing I will say is that the sequel will almost definitely have at least one yuri scene. Since there is not NC-17 rating at any more, I will be doing one of two things for those scene(s). One, I may just heavily edit the scene(s) and post it up at and see what happens or two, I may just be forced to skip over those scene(s) entirely for unless they lift their ban on NC-17 stories (which is unlikely). No one has to worry at Mediaminer dot org, I will edit nothing there, so anyone who exclusively reads at can always go there for the unedited version. I have completely decided what to do yet, but I'll let everyone know prior to the scene(s). The only other important thing I want to ask is, should I pair Minako up with someone in the sequel? I have an idea of what I might do, but I won't say anything yet. I just wanted to know if people want her to hook up with anyone in the sequel, though I think I already know the answer I'm going to receive from this question. I have to admit it will be a little weird to write Rei and Usagi as a couple, I've spent so much time torturing them that writing them as a happy couple will certainly be a different experience.

I don't know if I'll do the sequel right way or not, so don't bother asking about it. In fact, I'm not making any promises to do anything so soon after finishing this long story; I may just take a break for a time. Heck, I even have other ideas for different stories, but I won't mention any specifics here. Hell, if I ever find myself in the right mood, I might think of doing a prequel to this set in the Silver Millennium. I have ideas written out for that time that I didn't even use here, just don't expect anything, I'm just tossing around ideas.

**(I have gotten a lot of comments about a sex scene in the sequel, many of which told me nothing will happen if I leave that scene 100 percent intact at ff dot net, so I think I'll keep everything as I originally write, no matter where I post it.)**

**Other Notes** :

I think 'Eien no Melody' fits quiet well with my story, which is obviously, why I choose add it in here. The translation is courtesy of . It took a good amount of searching for me to find the 'right song'. Even though it wasn't necessary for there to be an ending theme, I wanted one. For anyone who doesn't know, 'Eien no Melody' is the song the Rei sings in Sailor Moon R episode 54 entitled: 'The cultural festival is just for me! Queen Rei sings all out.' If you are one of those poor folks that have only seen the English dub, Rei's song was changed to 'Oh Starry Night'.

Oh, and before as to when I'll have everything revised (when I can call this story complete), I'm not sure when that will be. Just stay tuned…

Continue on if you want a preview the sequel.

* * *

"Oh jeez, I forgot my money in my room. Wait here, I'll be right back." Rei said and sprinted up the stairs, two at a time, back to the main shrine.

Usagi leaned against the large torii that marked the entrance into the Hikawa Jinja at the base of the stairs. 'I hope Rei hurries, I'm hungry.' Usagi thought and then heard a loud boom that sounded like thunder, but the sky was clear. Usagi looked up hoping to find an answer above her head. Usagi's eyes widened when she saw someone falling out of the sky, and heading straight for her. Usagi yelled as the 'person from the sky' collided with her.

Inside the shrine…

'I know I left it in here somewhere' Rei thought to herself and smiled triumphantly when she saw the money sitting on her dresser. She quickly grabbed it and shoved it into her jean pocket, when she heard a loud boom from outside followed by Usagi yelling. 'Usagi!' Rei thought as she ran from her room as fast as she could.

Back at the shrine entrance…

"Ouch!" exclaimed the person on top of Usagi.

"I think that's my line!" Usagi said as she turned her head to see exactly who was sitting on top of her. Her eyes widened and she couldn't seem to find her voice.

A girl that appeared to be in her early teens with pink hair done up in similar style to Usagi's looked down at the person who broke her fall. The pink haired girl smiled and waved sheepishly at Usagi, "Hi mom."

Just then, Rei came running down the steps of the shrine, only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight at the bottom of the stairs. Rei found herself in a similar state as Usagi, she was speechless and couldn't seem to move. Rei opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't get anything out other than a few indiscernible words. The girl at the bottom of the stairs must have heard Rei's pathetic attempt at speech because she turned to the raven-haired priestess.

The girl's smile grew even wider when she saw the woman that was half way down the stairs, "Mama!" She exclaimed and quickly got off of Usagi and ran to shocked priestess.

"Oof!" Usagi groaned as the young girl roughly got off of her and ran to Rei. The pink haired girl ran up the stairs to reach Rei and when she finally did, she collided with her and threw her arms around the priestess, nearly knocking her to the ground.

"Um…?" Rei said after finally finding her voice.

The young girl looked up at Rei with the same big smile on her face, "Yes Mama?"

Rei looked at the girl in total shock and honestly, she felt a little light headed, "Ma…"

"…Ma" Usagi, still lying on the ground, finished with the same shocked expression as Rei.

…To be continued

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the final chapter. I decided to post it as it appears on fanfiction dot net, with the author note in the middle and all. It was definitely most satisfying to complete this and revisiting this story like this honestly give me even more motivation to finish my current works.


End file.
